Ambassador Thomas Armbruster is a field guy, a diplomatic foot soldier. He served overseas for 20 years and has the experience to tell future ambassadors what to expect. Global problems require global solutions and international institutions. America has led in so many ways on the global stage since World War Two. There is a lot of good work to be done and only by including all Americans in diplomacy can we advance further. This book is a call to service and adventure.Armbruster?served as Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands from August 2012 to May 2016.? Since leaving the Foreign Service, he has worked as an international consultant and led inspections to Colombia; Denmark, Chad, Mauritania and the South and Central Asia bureau. Overseas postings include Vladivostok, Russia; Dushanbe, Tajikistan; Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; Moscow, Russia; Havana, Cuba and Helsinki, Finland.? Domestic assignments include Diplomat in Residence at City College in New York City and Polar Affairs Officer in Washington, DC. ?Armbruster?was the Chief U.S. Negotiator for an emergency response treaty with Russia and led trade and counternarcotics missions to Afghanistan.? He is fluent in Spanish and Russian.Ambassador Armbruster is the only American diplomat to arrive in the (then) Soviet Union by kayak?and is a private pilot and scuba diver.? Armbruster?was born in El Paso, Texas and lives in Ithaca, New York with his wife Kathy and dog "Skipjack."? Tom and Kathy have two children, Bryan and Kalia, who grew up in the Foreign Service.A travel book might be just what you need right now!
You know that student ready to take on the world but not sure how. This book is a roadmap for anyone interested in the U.S. Foreign Service. Ambassador Armbruster believes in long shots. That's his message to the next generation of diplomats. President Obama nominated him to be Ambassador to the Marshall Islands, a little country with big issues. Marine resources, climate change, the nuclear testing legacy... it was a great assignment. Ambassador Armbruster encourages young people, particularly people who have never thought about a career in diplomacy, to give it a shot, no matter how much of a long shot it may seem. Ambassador Armbruster's successful diplomacy included convincing the Pentagon to clean up a World War Two battleship threatening a coral reef; nominating the 2014 Civil Society Speaker who brought the United Nations delegates to their feet; and successfully negotiating an emergency response agreement with Russia. The Foreign Service needs to represent America and all of it's great diversity. How to Become an Ambassador answer the burning question 'what would foreign service life be like for me?' The adventure. The sacrifice. The education. The dedication to the highest ideals. And especially the rewards of service. If you want to be inspired to serve overseas, read this book.
