Recent events in Afghanistan have inspired this blog entry.
While the most of the world is, no doubt, aware that there was a massive suicide bombing in Kabul a few days ago; the majority of you don't know that, amongst the 90 dead and 400 injured, the American Embassy in Kabul lost nine of their Local Guard Force (LGF) in the explosion. Another 11 American citizen contractors were injured. The explosion took place in the diplomatic quarter, near the German Embassy. It appears, though I could be mistaken, that the LGF who were killed were outside the Embassy walls.
My former boss shared this small blurb that he read on the news:
."deadly attack in Kabul that killed 90 people and wounded over 400 individuals. The State Department told CBS news that nine Afghan guards at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul were killed and 11 American contractors wounded in the massive suicide truck bomb attack that rocked the diplomatic quarter. This might be the largest casualty of local guards in recent memory."
Many of those unfamiliar with the FS probably have no idea what the LGF is or what they do for American citizens overseas. Let me explain.
During my last two years in Tirana, Albania, (our last tour of duty overseas), I worked as the administrative assistant/office manager for the Diplomatic Security (DS) office.
"The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the federal law enforcement arm of the Department of State, is responsible for security at all U.S. embassies and consulates around the world; domestically, they protect the Secretary of State, as well as foreign non-heads of state dignitaries visiting the United States. They also conduct criminal and counterterrorist investigations related to passport and visa fraud. Overseas, the special agent in charge of security at an embassy, known in the vernacular as an RSO (Regional Security Officer), and one or two deputy agents, can be responsible for as many as 100 different programs and tasks, ranging from counterintelligence to supervising the Marine Security Guards... The RSO is also responsible for supervising the hiring, performance, and training of the local guard force — the foreign nationals employed by the embassy who stand guard at the outermost edge of an embassy’s defenses."--source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-m-katz/ankara-embassy-attack_b_2670338.html
My particular section was the biggest in the Embassy, with over 100 members on staff. The majority of those people were members of the Local Guard Force (LGF). (Note: Not all LGF around the world are members of Embassy or Consulate staff. Many are hired through a contract with a security company. Either way, they put themselves between us and danger.) As you can imagine, I came to know many of the LGF on a professional--and at times on a personal--level while I worked for Diplomatic Security. The LGF in Tirana hold a special place in my heart; and for that reason, I feel like the world should know what they do for people like my husband and my family on a daily basis when we're overseas.
The LGF at every U.S. Embassy and Consulate around the world is comprised of men and women who serve as our first line of defense in any security situation. Now, what does that entail exactly? Let me break it down for you.
The first thing one notices when even looking at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate is the amount of security. There will be guards, walls, drop arms, radios, guns, etc. visible from pretty far away. These guards are usually LGF. When you go to enter a U.S. Embassy office or housing compound, the first person you meet with upon arrival will undoubtedly be a member of the LGF. They will make sure you're actually supposed to be allowed in (meaning you have a visa appointment or a meeting with an employee) before they check your person and such for contraband. They will check your ID and open the doors for you. They will be polite and courteous and welcome you to the Embassy. At times, they will escort you around the compound and take you to the office/home you'll be visiting. That's what they do for the visitors, more or less; however, what do they do for the diplomats and locally engaged staff?
Well, for starters, the LGF work around the clock. They do shift work and are at post 24 hours per day--on holidays, on weekends, in rain, in snow, in peace times, in war zones, on Christmas, on their personal religious holidays, when we're asleep--without fail and often at their own personal risk depending what country they live in. They check our cars at 0300 in the blowing rain, and they usually do it with a kind smile. They stand in front of the gates and walk the wall perimeter to make sure no one can harm us. They watch the cameras 24 hours per day for anything suspicious. I suppose you get the idea. But that is not all they do.
Who do you think tries to stop the truck trying to ram the Embassy gates or shows up in a military vehicle and demands to see the Ambassador but is actually a terrorist with an AK-47? The LGF officer working the gates does.
And, why, you might ask, do they do it? Why do they work long hours year round to serve a government that isn't even theirs? Well, obviously, some do it for a pay check. Others do it out of loyalty either to their job or to individual diplomats or ambassadors they work for. Some do it with the hope that their service will be so long and great that they might one day be rewarded for their service with what's known as an "SIV" or Special Immigrant Visa. See, in the past the United States has rewarded its most loyal and long-serving Locally Engaged Staff with an SIV. To be clear, working for the United States Government for twenty or so years as a foreign national does not guarantee you an SIV. Not by a long shot. But if you do something outstanding, the odds are that you might get it one day. Now, obviousy, "outstanding" can be a relative term, but I know a former LGF turned bodyguard or two that received their SIVs for some pretty phenomenally cool reasons.
The story that I heard is that in 2005, a U.S. military C-130 plane crashed in the Albanian mountains during a training mission. It was night time, and there was a lot of snow in the mountains. They couldn't communicate with the plane; so they didn't know if there were survivors or casualties or both. So what happened? Well, a couple of the former LGF-turned bodyguards and some American officers got in an armored vehicle and started driving up a snow-covered mountain in the dark. Did I mentioned there were unpaved roads and no snow tires? At some point, the vehicle just couldn't go any further; so they set out on foot to find the wreckage. They had no food with them and carried on at great risk to themselves. Well, they found the wreckage; however, all on the plane were lost.
The men received no recognition in the news articles I read about the crash (https://www.stripes.com/news/report-cites-loss-of-situational-awareness-in-deadly-albania-crash-1.35010#.WTH3yBgrK00 ); however, ten years later, the driver of that vehicle receied his SIV. I got to edit the letter that went to the committee recommending that he receive the SIV. I had a really cool job.
And what is an SIV? What does it mean for that employee? Well, it means that he/she and his/her entire immediate family (spouse and/or kids) will be given an immigrant visa to the United States. In other words, they get to move here forever and begin a new life. Does it guarantee the issuee happiness and riches? Absolutely not! In fact, those who work for the USG might leave a really well-paying life in their home country in order to move to the United States and be a nighttime security guard. A well-off LGF, bodyguard, or translator might get their SIV and leave a reasonably comfortable existence so they can come here to the U.S. and struggle financially for the rest of their lives. And why would they do that? Well, to me, I believe the answer is that they do it for their children and their children's children.
By and large, the LGF deserve our absolute respect. They risk their lives for our protection. Some of them even end up paying the ultimate price.
Please see the attached links to learn more about LGF officers who have given their lives in service to the United States Government.
Here's a link about an LGF officer who kept the Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen from falling. https://www.buzzfeed.com/gregorydjohnsen/the-benghazi-that-wasnt-how-one-man-saved-the-american-embas?utm_term=.piZW2bDaGr#.vlwxLpDqjy
Here's a link about a Turkish LGF who was killed while on duty in Ankara. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-m-katz/ankara-embassy-attack_b_2670338.html
For those wanting to learn more information about DS and LGF heroes who have lost their lives in service to our diplomats overseas, please see : https://www.state.gov/m/ds/memorial/ . I will admit that the memorial page is not as current as it should be, but it's still a good learning tool.
