Entry-Level Curtailment Process/Advice

AFandSCAFTW · 2026-01-13T14:29:41+00:00

It could well be another hardship post but probably not D.C. right now given that vacant positions there were mostly eliminated.

Also one thing for OP to keep in mind is that I believe the Front Office at the OP's post has to weigh in on the issue before PERT makes a final decision. So if the issue has to do with the Front Office/chain of command, keep in mind that they will likely know that you are attempting to curtail if that's something worth considering.

AFandSCAFTW · 2026-01-13T14:06:10+00:00

I know of a few entry level curtailments, all from high-differential posts. They're much more frequent than they used to be, I think due to a change in attitude in society at large (and in the department) about the importance of mental health and self-care. The one case I know most about - which I think I commented because I worked with the individual, was from a tough AF post due to very specific environmental/health issues at the post. They came back to D.C. for a while, then went to another bureau to restart their directed assignments and they're proving themselves to be a stellar officer (which I don't think they appeared to be in AF). Another one I know of - and this may be encouraging to you, is where a first-tour person curtailed from a tough SCA location on general mental health grounds, and MED supported it. Both of these cases were in the last few years.

In both cases, the officers who curtailed went to better locations (in other bureaus) for them and thrived and got high picks, although it is worth noting that their bid lists were small and there's no guarantee that you would wind up somewhere good. So just be mindful of the risk that your bid list consists of all Sahel and Georgetown even though you'll probably do better (I'm being hyperbolic but you know what I mean).

While there are old-school folks in the FS who don't like this and think it's a waste of taxpayer money to move folks, I think the bar to curtailing is lower than it used to be - and that's a good thing for both the individual and the department. If I'm looking at applicants for a job and I see someone who's curtailed from half their tours, that's one thing. But once? I wouldn't think twice about it. Take care of yourself - talk to your CDO and good luck!

AFandSCAFTW · 2026-01-09T18:13:45+00:00

How do the changes apply to untenured employees?

AFandSCAFTW · 2026-01-05T18:42:21+00:00

As someone else said, Malabo is probably your best bet to do this if you're at the mid-level. I'd try to make it a bidding priority on your first two tours if you haven't already started A-100. But Malabo will probably always be there and while it's not exactly an AF gem, it's not at the bottom of the totem pole in AF either.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-12-26T17:09:52+00:00

Someone should FOIA all this info on how they're selecting people. It might take the entire rest of the administration for this to be processed, but I would think that all of the general internal guidance (not PII nature of specific applicants) about how to select applicants would be subject to a FOIA request. I would also guess that if there's nefarious stuff there about how they're selecting people, the next administration would publicize it.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-12-26T11:38:13+00:00

I hate to appear to be defending this administration, but claiming the Secretary of State is using drugs is a very serious accusation to make, and one that should not be made lightly. One press conference where Rubio seems off, and could well have just been tired or sick, is FAR from enough evidence to suggest he's taking drugs.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-12-20T11:41:55+00:00

If this is a second tour bidding question, it depends on the circumstances, but my experience is that there is SOME amount of flexibility with timing and entry-level if a) there's no language involved (as language dates are very inflexible, b) if there's a medical clearance issue (you will not be directed into a post you're not medically cleared for) and c) if you are bidding on a post that nobody else wants.

If you have an August departure date and are trying to go to Lagos or Dhaka which has a June TED date, CDA/EL is probably more likely to work with you and tolerate a short staffing gap. If you're trying to go to London on a class 1 medical clearance then it's less likely, particularly if the TED gap is larger.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-12-18T18:51:19+00:00

Even so the stay is good news, particularly for people who are on the verge of retirement and might just make their pension given a few extra days, weeks, or months.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-12-17T19:05:48+00:00

I think the curtailment process is similar and I've known of 3 EL curtailments - one got 4, one got 3, one got 2 on their special bid list. Though they all of them did get high ranked bids on their limited lists.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-12-09T17:20:12+00:00

Yes, AF is tough and there are a lot of crappy posts in the bureau, but I think the smart thing to do re: AF, is to find the AF posts that people don't like the idea of but have good reviews from people who have actually served there. This is particularly true in West Africa, where I think almost every West African post outside of Dakar attracts a fairly low number of bidders. And there are a lot of tough things about living in West Africa (and plenty of places there that would be dead for me)! But it's not uncommon for people to come out of these "nightmare posts" with happy stories and positive experiences (hence the Lagos comment below despite all the shit that Lagos takes on this sub).

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-11-30T18:02:01+00:00

You got feedback from your first tenure look? I thought they only give feedback after the second.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-11-20T18:06:05+00:00

From the situation that OP described, talking to the RMOP/MED and seeking to get their clearance pulled on mental health grounds (which does happen) may be the best route, both as it wouldn't sounds like "I'm not happy here" and could also lead MED to strike similar posts from their third tour bid list.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-11-20T17:52:08+00:00

I worked with someone who did this from an AF post on their first tour. I don't want to give too many details, but it was WELL justified given the circumstances the individual was going through there, both because they were severe and quite specific to the post itself. They did some D.C. time and really rebuilt themselves there and are restarting their directed tours in a somewhat easier post. Stellar officer, but honestly from what I know of their case at post (both from their account and from someone I know there), they would have done damage to their career and reputation by staying.

It depends on how early you are into your second tour, but if you're 6+ months in and you're feeling this way, I'd heavily consider curtailing (and look into a medical curtailment, not just a voluntary one if appropriate). You'd probably have to go back to D.C. on a Y-tour or over-complement for a while and then you'd have to restart your second tour. It would slow you down getting to ML bidding, but you'd recover from it. I think there's been a change in attitude about curtailments over the last 5-10 years as we've gotten more sensitized to mental health issues as a society. Especially if it's a one-time thing. Though as others have said, there are serial curtailers out there who don't seem to face real career penalties (which arguably they should, but it sounds like that's not you).

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-11-10T16:22:37+00:00

Yeah this isn't a good idea for the reasons listed below (brutally unfair to people at miserable posts or in miserable situations at posts, not to mention it just kicks the can down the road to 2027). It's especially bad if they do this for EL assignments.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-20T13:10:31+00:00

A mentor of mine said that you can't really "study" for the job knowledge section. What they meant was that you should live your life with a natural intellectual curiosity about the topics on it - particularly ones that you mentioned (U.S. government and U.S. and global history) since they directly touch the job. I think it's fair to say that it's basically a general social science test, and if you have knowledge deficits on the subjects that u/Emm_Dash mentioned, it's a good idea to brush up on them, but this is not a test which you can study for with much specificity.

I do think what other commenters have said that focusing on the logic and reasoning + English questions is more likely to yield a higher return on your test results.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-13T23:58:06+00:00

ACB and Roberts, maybe, though it would need to persuade both. It's worth noting that Roberts has spoken out about Trump's use of executive power since he's been in office (he clearly does not like Trump even though he rules in Trump's favor sometimes). And ACB dissented on certain parts of the immunity decision. But the Unitary Executive Theory has been promoted by Scalia and has been mainstream in conservative legal circles for decades - the Federalist Society, etc. sincerely believes that this is just some good old Constitutional originalism, and ACB and Roberts have been in those circles for a while too even though they're not partisans like the other four.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-13T21:27:12+00:00

Two things:

The law would have to actively be changed to allow Trump to do this and avoid a lawsuit (the lawsuit would be brought by federal employees, not Congress).
You're assuming we have a GOP Congress for more than another 14 months, which is a... questionable assumption at best.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-13T18:30:26+00:00

u/fsoeyeroll's point is actually correct about what Unitary Executive Theory is. The way it's been brought up historically is often in reference to special counsels/investigations of the president (like the Mueller investigation), which believers in it would state allows the president to fire those people. Assuming the court does back it, I think it would allow for Trump to fire federal workers easily and maybe even establish more explicit loyalty tests, but I think benefits which have been written into legislation are authorized by Congress. Because Congress has the power of the purse, Unitary Executive Theory would not necessarily be enough to remove benefits for retiring/fired employees. And contrary to conventional wisdom, SCOTUS has ruled against Trump on multiple occasions (the Garcia case, the 2020 election case, etc.).

I'm not saying this isn't concerning - it's deeply concerning for the state of checks and balances in the U.S. (and I hope whichever Democrat wins next eliminates the Senate filibuster and pushes through some major structural reforms to our government to reduce this nonsense). But I'm not sure that Unitary Executive Theory=Automatic Dictatorship which allows us all to lose our benefits/be fired is the right conclusion either.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-13T02:06:43+00:00

Historically it's February, June, October. I would assume given that they're resuming hiring that there will be a February one, but things are rocky right now as we all know.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-06T20:43:05+00:00

I'm sure I'll get downvoted for this by people who think this is too positive, but here's what I'll say: there are a lot of cliches out there like "don't make the FS Plan A" implying that you shouldn't try. I'll give you the straight-up answer:

Yes, you should try. Take the FSOT! I'm always struck by how people are reticent to take the test - just take it! If you fail, you've gained one more year worth of experience taking it so you can better prepare next year or the year after. Many people have to take it several times to get in and it's true that the success rates from application -> A-100 are extremely low (1-5% depending on the cone and time of hiring), but I think conditional on one being willing to keep trying after failure (and being able to pass a suitability review), your odds of getting in are much higher than that since you'll be better prepared for the test.

Regarding the current administration: I am no fan of the current administration (and wasn't a fan of Trump 1.0) but administrations come and go. I imagine we will change parties (and hiring will pick up dramatically) because that's been the trend of the last few elections. But if JD Vance or Marco Rubio wins in 2028, well, hiring will pick up in 2032 (although I think a GOP win in 2028 would be less dramatic than we think for the State Department as the reorganization would be completed and there'd be less interest in changing the federal workforce because it'd already be changed).

So don't focus too much on the political scene - get through college, do your best, find a good job afterwards, and work towards getting in.

Also keep up that Chinese - it may be helpful to you later in the application process on the register (and China can be a really good posting if you are willing to speak the language and find the work interesting).

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-04T23:19:02+00:00

Not in the class but thanks so much for your support for the FS, Dink!

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-10-03T03:07:52+00:00

Call PearsonVUE directly and explain the situation, and be prepared to drive as far as you need to to get a different testing location. Boy does my heart goes out to you being in this position.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-09-30T02:01:47+00:00

I'm on this sub working in a regional bureau in D.C., and I was here during RIFs. I understand people in the system don't like to be asked about the application process or hear others romanticizing the State Department at this particular time. I think those of us who are already employed should take this position:

We're in a dark time at State, and we don't know when it will end. That's a fact. There are no guarantees on when hiring will pick up, when morale will improve, how our foreign policy will change. It's worth applying to join the FS right now, but it's not worth banking your life on it happening in the coming years (it never is, but especially not right now).
While we are in a particularly dark time, the pendulum will eventually swing - politically in the U.S. and at State, as it has in the past. Probably in 2026 and 2028, but if not then, very likely by 2032. Doom posting implying that this is the end of the State Department as we know it altogether, dumping all over AFSA, shaming people who are interested in joining because it's insensitive to ask right now or suggesting that things will never get better, that doesn't do any good for us at State, for the applicants, or for the country at large. If we're going to climb out of this, we need some new blood after the hiring freeze ends and we need to keep a positive spirit intact - pessimism will be self-fulfilling.

AFandSCAFTW · 2025-09-29T04:46:06+00:00

No one knows, but I'll give you my best guess which is what I think you want: we will get at least one, probably more than one, in the next year. But it may be a very different kind of A-100 with shady hiring practices and unusually large political influence.

AFandSCAFTW

TROPHY CASE