The tragic events at our Benghazi consulate last fall underscore the risks that brave Americans who volunteer to serve their country in diplomatic, intelligence, military and other Services overseas knowingly and willingly accept.
Of course, they — and all Americans — expect their government to take all necessary, reasonable and practical measures and precautions to make such Service as safe as possible.
Whether our government did so at the Consulate in Benghazi and whether it took all reasonable actions to prevent or minimize casualties during the attack of our Consulate is the subject of a fierce debate at present.
I mentioned “other Services “above.
Part of those “other Services” that I was not aware of — albeit technically part of our State Department — are those men and women who support U.S. Department of State criminal justice missions abroad, part of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law (INL)* Enforcement Affairs.
I was even less aware of the high number of these personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
According to the State Department, 86 of these men and women have lost their lives between 1989 and 2012 while supporting such criminal justice missions abroad.
Most of the personnel died supporting missions in Iraq (28), Peru (18), Afghanistan (15), Colombia (14), and Bosnia (5).
Most of the personnel “were contract employees; others include U.S. Federal Agents. Many of those killed were former police officers, corrections officers, support staff, security professionals, and drug eradication pilots,” according to the State Department.
The State Department is honoring these men and women through a permanent memorial wall housed at the Department’s Headquarters.
The wall measures 54”x36” and consists of a glass panel with the world map etched on it. On top of this large glass panel are three individual panels with the names, dates of death and location of death of the honorees, including sixty-seven U.S. citizens and 19 non-U.S. citizens. The U.S. citizens hailed from 26 different states.
While, of course, we expect our government to do everything possible to prevent or minimize such casualties among those serving our country abroad — and within our borders — most Americans understand that there will always be risks involved and, most important, those who so selflessly serve, understand and accept such.
For that we honor and respect these men and women even more.
CODA:
* The Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is part of the Department of State’s multi-faceted response to the criminal threat. Dedicated to strengthening criminal justice systems, countering the flow of illegal narcotics, and minimizing transnational crime, INL plays a key role in leading the development and synchronization of U.S. international drug and crime assistance. INL’s technical support is tailored to bolster capacities of partner countries through multilateral, regional, and country-specific programs.
Lead Image: Recovering addicts learn carpet weaving in Herat province. Courtesy INL.
INL funds six residential drug treatment centers for women and adjacent centers for their children (in Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Badakhshan, Farah and Nangarhar). INL trains Afghan women addiction counselors and is developing a gender-responsive substance abuse treatment curriculum.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.