A large July reduction in force removed many long-serving career diplomats and other public servants, prompting visible distress among those displaced. The cuts also affected intelligence officers, senior military officers, development specialists, and other experienced professionals with specialized expertise. Much of that work had been little understood or appreciated by the public. The removals occurred under the banner of reform but resembled a campaign of retribution against public service and expertise. Reforms are necessary to remove bureaucratic hurdles, but they must be carried out intelligently and humanely to preserve institutional knowledge and essential policy expertise.
For three and a half decades as a career diplomat, I walked across the lobby of the State Department countless times-inspired by the Stars and Stripes and humbled by the names of patriots etched into our memorial wall. It was heartbreaking to see so many of you crossing that same lobby in tears following the reduction in force in July, carrying cardboard boxes with family photos and the everyday remains of proud careers in public service.
The same is true for so many other public servants who have been fired or pushed out in recent months: the remarkable intelligence officers I was proud to lead as CIA director, the senior military officers I worked with every day, the development specialists I served alongside overseas, and too many others with whom we've served at home and abroad.
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