We Need A Slogan!

The lament is as old as diplomacy:

No one really gets us.

Even Benjamin Franklin, our nation's first diplomat, was misunderstood and to a degree, mistrusted. It is like we are a bit too tainted by our interactions with "furn-ners."

Amongst ourselves, we share stories of telling people what we do. If you say you are in the Foreign Service, people ask if that is like the Foreign Legion. If you say State Department, they ask you which state.

And if you say you are a diplomat, they just think you are uppity.

It is this lack of understanding among the American people that makes it so easy for Congress to slash our budget. Even our security budget. And then bad things happen (and the Department gets blamed...).

So I have said many times before and will say again, we need to be better at telling our story. Telling the good, bad and ugly about life in the Service. I try to do some of that here, in the hopes that some will read it and understand the prices we pay to serve, but also so that some of the best and brightest out there will decide it is a worthy cause and join us.

I am selfish like that...serving with good people makes the hard parts easier, so I want to convince all you good people out there to serve with me.

So again, and not for the last time, join me in telling our stories.

But also...

We need a slogan.

The Marines have "The Few. The Proud..." Army has "Army Strong."

We need one too...and it can't involve pin-stripes or cookie pushing. Those stereotypes are long past their shelf life.

Instead, something like:

"Bringing Your To The World and The World To You."

Or "Spreading American Values Since 1776."

Or "Using Our Words So Our Soldiers Don't Have To Face Their Guns."

Or "We're Everywhere So You Don't Have To Be."

Or "Making America Safer One Poster Show At A Time."

Help me come up with a good one...and then let's spread it.