Thursday, April 28, 2011

Foreign Service Timeline

Last week I finally figured out why I have such a global audience.  My blog was listed on a Foreign Service blog as a "Future FSO blog."  I know how obsessive all you future-FSOs can be, since I'm married to one, so I wanted to first clarify that it's my husband joining the Foreign Service, not me, and second, he will not go to A100 until next year, because he doesn't get out of the Marine Corps until then.
But I know that isn't enough for the really obsessive people who haven't even taken the test yet, so here, courtesy of my husband, is his timeline:


FSOT October 7, 2010
FSOT Results October 28, 2010
PNQ Submitted November 17, 2010
QEP Results January 24, 2011
FSOA March 18, 2011 @ Annex 44 (5.75 Political)
Security Clearance granted April 13, 2011
Medical Clearance April 27, 2011
Final Suitability Review pending

Deferred Register until December 15, 2011

As far as I know Jack and I have been medically cleared (although my chest x-ray was still pending from the hospital and Jack's TB test was last week, so it might not be totally finished yet). 


Since scores seem to be down this year (and it seems like a lot fewer people are passing the Orals altogether), we're hoping John's score is high enough for him to be called off the register fairly quickly (we'd really like it to happen before he gets out of the Marines, anyway, so he's not unemployed!), but you never know.  He's brushing up on his Russian just in case.


Hope that helps!

2 comments:

Shauna said...

When he joins the Foreign Service and goes to the A100, what does that mean exactly? Are you guys moving?

Mara Rae said...

Hey Hune! A100 is the class all newbie Foreign Service Officers take. The class is six weeks, and at the end of it you find out which country you're going to. Most likely John will need language training, which I think is generally about six months. So, if all goes according to plan, John will go to A100 in March of next year (he isn't eligible to get out of the Marines until January, and he can stay in as late as July), graduate in May, and complete his language training late next year. I think we'd move shortly after that (so late 2012/early 2013).