MASERU: REQUEST FOR TOUR OF DUTY EXTENSION FOR CONSULAR

UNCLAS MASERU 000056 SIPDIS FOR HR/CDA, CA/EX, AF/EX E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT CMGT APER LT SUBJECT: MASERU: REQUEST FOR TOUR OF DUTY EXTENSION FOR CONSULAR OFFICER, KARLA C. BROWN, FS-04 ¶1. Maseru requests the extension of the tour of duty of Consular Officer, Karla C. Brown, for an additional six months. Ms. Brown arrived at post in November 2008. Her tour of duty was to have been 24 months with a transfer eligibility date of 11/2010. With this request, we ask that her TED be extended to 5/2011. Ms. Brown is performing her consular duties in an excellent manner, and as the sole consular officer at post, she has brought the consular section into compliance with all regulations while maintaining a high level of customer service. This extension has the strong and enthusiastic support of Ambassador Nolan. ¶2. In addition to allowing Ms. Brown and this position's rotation to move to the summer transfer cycle, an extension of 6 months would enable post to provide adequate training to consular backups prior to her transfer. By August 2010, Ms. Brown's two backup consular officers will both be first tour ELOs with no consular field experience; post understands that Ms. Brown's replacement is likely to also be an ELO. Given the relative lack of hands-on consular experience that all of post's consular officers will have following her transfer, post requests the extension to allow Ms. Brown more time to provide on-the-job training to better prepare the consular backups to provide support to the consular section at this tiny post. ¶3. Post looks forward to favorable consideration of this request. Warm regards from the Mountain Kingdom. NOLAN