UNCLAS STATE 103796

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT, ASEC, APER
SUBJECT: TRAVEL TO POSTS UNDER AUTHORIZED OR ORDERED
DEPARTURE AND TO UNACCOMPANIED POSTS

REF: STATE 36567 (02/08/03)

To Chiefs of Mission from the Under Secretary for
Management

1. This cable has been cleared by SEP.

2. This message replaces reftel; it provides clarification
in several places to address issues that have arisen since
the original message was issued. Please share it with all
State and other agency employees under your authority.
The regional bureaus have cleared this cable.

3. Several questions on official and personal travel to
posts under Authorized or Ordered Departure, as well as
travel to Unaccompanied posts, have come to our attention.
I want to lay out Department policy on travel to such
posts and to the countries in which these posts are
located.

4. The decision to approve Authorized or Ordered Departure
status for a particular post is based on Chief of Mission
and geographic bureau recommendation regarding the
seriousness of the security situation or other
circumstances. The decision affects the operations of the
Mission and the lives of personnel and family members.
The Department's paramount concern is the security and
personal safety of all Americans abroad, and we share with
you the responsibility for ensuring the security of
members of the entire official American community under
your authority.

5. Congress maintains a high level of interest in the
process and associated costs of the administration and
efficiency of evacuations. The Department must have the
confidence of the Congress with respect to our policies
and decisions in order to maintain flexibility and funding
levels.

OFFICIAL TRAVEL TO POSTS UNDER AUTHORIZED OR ORDERED
DEPARTURE

6. All official travel to a post in evacuation status,
including FSN TDY travel, requires the formal approval of
M. In limited circumstances, I have delegated to the
Chief of Mission the authority to approve the return
travel to post of permanently assigned employees and
family members who have not elected authorized departure.
(M, however, must approve travel to post for employees and
family members who were away from post when authorized
departure was approved, and for employees arriving to
begin an assignment. It is longstanding M policy not to
allow family members to transfer to posts under authorized
departure.) This authority does not extend to posts under
ordered departure.

THOSE AWAY FROM POST WHEN AUTHORIZED DEPARTURE IS APPROVED

7. Employees who are away from post when Authorized
Departure is approved ("caught out") must submit a formal
request, through the Mission and the geographic bureau,
and obtain M approval to return to post. Typically,
return travel is approved for personnel who perform
emergency functions at post, but these decisions are made
on a case by case basis. Family members who are away from
post when an Authorized Departure is approved may submit
requests to M, through the mission and geographic bureau,
making clear that the intention of the travelers is to
remain at post and not immediately elect Authorized
Departure.

THOSE AWAY FROM POST WHEN ORDERED DEPARTURE IS APPROVED

8. Employees caught out when an Ordered Departure is
approved must submit a formal request, with Mission and
geographic bureau recommendations, and obtain M approval
to return to post. Typically, M approves requests to
return to post for employees that perform emergency
functions as designated by the Chief of Mission. Family
members are not permitted to return if they are away from
post when an Ordered Departure is approved.

UNACCOMPANIED POSTS

9. The Director General of the Foreign Service, based on
post recommendation, is responsible for designating posts
in imminent danger areas or in areas with severe hardships
as "Unaccompanied." Unaccompanied means no family members
are allowed to reside at post or only certain categories
of family members (e.g., adults only or adults and small
children) are authorized to reside at post. The
availability of family visitation travel from
Unaccompanied posts is explained in 3 FAM 3730. Travel of
family members to Unaccompanied posts is limited to adults
over the age of 21 years, consistent with Standardized
Regulations (SR040) and 6 FAM 111.3-1, and requires Chief
of Mission Approval.

PERSONAL TRAVEL TO POSTS UNDER AUTHORIZED OR ORDERED
DEPARTURE AND TO UNACCOMPANIED POSTS

10. Employees and their family members should not visit
posts or countries that are in Authorized Departure,
Ordered Departure, or Unaccompanied status. It is
inconsistent with Chief of Mission and Department
authority and responsibility for the security of employees
abroad to permit personal travel to countries/areas that
the Department has determined to be dangerous enough as to
warrant an evacuation or Unaccompanied designation, with
resultant expenditure of resources. Travel Warnings,
issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, routinely urge
private American citizens to consider leaving countries
where Authorized or Ordered Departure is in effect or
where our posts are Unaccompanied.

TRAVELERS IN TRANSIT

11. Transit of a country in which the U.S. Mission is
under Authorized or Ordered Departure, as well as
Unaccompanied posts, should be avoided. Should there be
an instance where a transit is unavoidable (e.g., a USG
employee transiting a country in which the U.S. mission is
under evacuation via a direct connecting flight with no
intention to exit the airport), post should be informed of
the employee's transit. M does not, however, need to
approve such cases. If the employee is required to stay
overnight at the transfer point, the employee must obtain
M approval, with the recommendation of post and the
relevant geographic bureau. While this may seem
burdensome, approval ensures that the Department and the
host mission are aware of the employee's presence and
location should further emergencies arise.

HOUSEGUESTS

12. At posts under Authorized or Ordered Departure and at
Unaccompanied posts, the Chief of Mission may determine
that occupancy of USG properties will be limited to USG
employees, family members on official orders, members of
household, and domestic staff. The presence of
houseguests could strain already reduced post resources
during a critical time and send a mixed signal to the
private American citizen community, whom we would be
urging to depart. We will be revising the FAM to reflect
this policy.

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