Tag Archives: Germany

Germany Elects Angela Merkel’s Successor

September 27, 2021 By in Elections, EUR|Europe, Politics Tags: ,

 

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New Havana Syndrome Hotspots — U.S. Embassies in Germany and Austria

August 19, 2021 By in Blinken, Diplomatic Attacks, EUR|Europe, Foreign Service, Hotspots, Huh? News, MEDical, Realities of the FS, Security, State Department, Trends, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

 

 

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Biden Taps @Penn’s Amy Gutmann to be the Next U.S. Ambassador to Germany

July 29, 2021 By in EUR|Europe, Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, U.S. Missions Tags: , ,
President Biden announced his intent to nominate University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Germany. The WH released the following brief bio:

Amy Gutmann, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Germany

Amy Gutmann is the eighth President of the University of Pennsylvania, serving since 2004.  She is also the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science, and a Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication.  Her focus on global engagement fueled the creation of Penn’s Perry World House on campus, Penn Wharton China Center in Beijing, and the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, D.C.  Previously, at Princeton University, Gutmann was Provost, Dean of the Faculty, Founding Director of The University Center for Human Values, Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor of Politics, and Director of the Program in Ethics and Public Affairs.  She also worked at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and at the University of Maryland.  Gutmann is an award-winning author and editor of 17 books, many centered on understanding and defending constitutional democracy and human rights. The daughter of a German Jewish refugee, and first in her family to graduate college, she earned a B.A. at Harvard-Radcliffe College, an M.S. at the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D. at Harvard.  She was named by Fortune in 2018 as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.”

If confirmed, Ms. Gutmann would succeed Richard Grenell who served from May 2018 – June 2020.  She would also be the first female American ambassador to Berlin. According to AFSA’s tracking, 12 of 17 ambassadors appointed to Germany since 1960 or 70.6% were non-career appointees.

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WH Announces Nomination of Retired Col. Douglas Macgregor to be U.S. Ambassador to Germany

July 29, 2020 By in Nominations, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trump, U.S. Missions, U.S. Senate Tags: , ,

 

On July 27, the WH announced the president’s intent to nominate retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Germany. The WH released the following brief bio:
Colonel Douglas Macgregor, United States Army (Retired), of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Colonel Douglas Macgregor is a decorated combat veteran, author, and a consultant. Colonel Macgregor is widely recognized as an expert on force design and grand strategy.  He is a frequent radio and television commentator on national security affairs and his writings on military affairs have been influential in the transformation of United States ground forces, NATO, and the Israeli Defense Force.
During his military career, Colonel Macgregor worked in support of Ambassador Holbrooke’s team during the Proximity Talks in Dayton, Ohio.  Later, he worked closely with senior military and political leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany as the Chief of Strategic Planning and, subsequently, as the Director of the Joint Operations Center at Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe, during the Kosovo Air Campaign.
Colonel Macgregor earned a B.S. degree from the United States Military Academy and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Virginia.  He is the recipient of numerous awards from his military service, including the bronze star with “V” device for valor for his leadership under fire.
There are currently 75 nominations pending on the Executive Calendar; with 51 nominations pending in the SFRC.  Of the 51 nominations, 17 are currently listed for consideration during the SFRC’s business meeting on July 29, as well as seven FS lists.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens with these nominations.
Senate calendar (PDF) indicates that the Senate will be in session August 3-7; Sept 8-25,30; Oct 1-9, then 2 weeks in November after the elections, and three weeks in December with December 18 as its target date of adjournment.
Even if political appointees get confirmed next week and are able to travel to post immediately, that leaves the new appointees with barely 20 weeks in office. They won’t even have six months to adjust to their new jobs, much less their new host country.

Consular Officer Asks Visa Applicant: “Why don’t you have a Pulitzer Prize?”

September 13, 2018 By in Consular Work, Consulate General, Functional Bureaus, State Department, Visas Tags: , , , , , ,

Other questions to ask:

  • Why are you not a super model?
  • Why are you not a MacArthur Fellow?
  • Why are you not a 10?
  • Why don’t you have swagger like Shakespeare?

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WED 9/27 SFRC PM Hearings: Hoekstra, Buchan, Grenell, McMullen, McCourt

September 27, 2017 By in Hearings, Nominations, Political Appointees, SFRC Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted: 11:05 am PT
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Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Time: 02:15 PM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Johnson

Prepared statements and live video of hearing will be posted here when available.  Hyperlinked below are the Certificates of Competency for Nominees to be Chiefs of Mission per  Section 304 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.

NOMINEES

The Honorable Peter Hoekstra
Of Michigan, To Be Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The Kingdom Of The Netherlands
Hoekstra, Peter – Kingdom of the Netherlands – August 2017

Mr. Richard Duke Buchan III
Of Florida, To Be Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The Kingdom Of Spain
Buchan III, Richard Duke – Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra – August 2017

Mr. Richard Grenell
Of California, To Be Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The Federal Republic Of Germany
Grenell Richard Allen – Federal Republic of Germany- September 2017

Mr. Edward T. McMullen, Jr.
Of South Carolina, To Be Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The Swiss Confederation, And To Serve Concurrently And Without Additional Compensation As Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The Principality Of Liechtenstein
McMullen Jr. Edward Thomas – Swiss Confederation and Principality of Liechtenstein – September 2017

Ms. Jamie McCourtOf California, To Be Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The French Republic, And To Serve Concurrently And Without Additional Compensation As Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The Principality Of Monaco
McCourt, Jamie – French Republic and Principality of Monaco – August 2017

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Former USUN Spox Richard Grenell to be U.S. Ambassador to Germany

September 5, 2017 By in Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, Trump Tags: , ,

Posted: 1:59 am ET
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On September 2, President Trump formally announced the long rumored nomination of former USUN spokesperson Richard Grenell to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Germany. The WH released the following brief bio:

Richard Grenell of California to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Germany. Mr. Grenell, a foreign policy writer and commentator, founded the international consulting firm Capitol Media Partners in 2010. For nearly two decades, he has served as the primary communications adviser for public officials at the local, state, Federal, and international levels, as well as for a Fortune 200 ranked company. Mr. Grenell is the longest serving United States spokesman at the United Nations (2001-2008) having served four United States Ambassadors. He earned a B.A. from Evangel University and an MPA from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Clips:

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G20 Trump Keywords: Disharmony, Decline, Isolation, Plus Vlad’s CyberSecurity Ha! Ha!

July 10, 2017 By in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hall of Shame, Huh? News, Media, Realities of the FS, Rex Tillerson, Security, Social Media, Spectacular, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted: 3:09 am ET
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AND NOW THIs …

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U.S. Embassy Juba: 47 Troops Ordered to South Sudan, 130 Pre-Positioned in Djibouti

July 14, 2016 By in AF |Africa, Americans Abroad, Congress, Consular Work, Evacuations, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Service, India, Obama, Realities of the FS, Security, State Department, U.S. Missions, UK-FCO, US Presidents, War Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Posted: 2:19 am PT
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On July 13, President Obama informed Congress of the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces personnel to the U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan.

In response to the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan, I have ordered the deployment of additional U.S. Armed Forces personnel to South Sudan to support the security of U.S. personnel, and our Embassy in Juba. The first of these additional personnel, approximately 47 individuals, arrived in South Sudan on July 12, 2016, supported by military aircraft. Although equipped for combat, these additional personnel are deployed for the purpose of protecting U.S. citizens and property. These deployed personnel will remain in South Sudan until the security situation becomes such that their presence is no longer needed. Additional U.S. Armed Forces, including approximately 130 military personnel currently pre-positioned in Djibouti, are prepared to provide support, as necessary, for the security of U.S. citizens and property, including our Embassy, in South Sudan.

On July 13, Embassy Juba also announced two charter flights that will depart Juba for Entebbe, Uganda on Thursday, July 14. Passengers are expected to make onward travel plans themselves. A security message issued previously notes that “seating is very limited”  and that the mission “cannot guarantee availability.”  Passengers are limited to one piece of luggage (20 kg/45 lbs) each.  Pets are not included in the charter flights.  Passengers who are not documented with a valid U.S. passport “will likely not be considered for boarding.”

 

Germany and the EU have completed the evacuation of its citizens on July 13.  The UK and India are in the process of also evacuating their citizens from South Sudan.

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Photo of the Day: Iron Man @RobertDowneyJr with Marine Security Guards in Berlin

April 27, 2016 By in Celebrity, Photo of the Day, Social Media, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

Posted: 3:49 am ET
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Via US Embassy Berlin:

 

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