A Federal agency within the Department of State, OFM claims three basic missions: 1) to provide services for foreign diplomats living in the United States, 2) to monitor the activities of these foreign diplomats so that they do not abuse their immunity status, and 3) to treat foreign diplomats in such a way that their countries will treat U.S. diplomats stationed overseas in the same manner. OFM is authorized to impose restrictions of services on a foreign government and its diplomats if that government imposes them on the U.S. OFM is also authorized to enter into negotiations with that country to remove those restrictions once secure, fair treatment is given American officials in the other country.
OFM was established by Congress as an advocate for U.S. diplomatic treatment abroad, pursuant to the Foreign Missions Act of 1982. That Act gave the United States government jurisdiction over the operation of foreign diplomatic and consular missions and their personnel in the U.S., including responsibility for regulating various activities of the foreign personnel and dependents, as well as facilitating the benefits they are to receive in reciprocation for providing similar privileges to American diplomats in their countries. Those privileges are defined by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which cover four functional areas: the acquisition, ownership, and sale of real property; customs duty-free entry; tax exemption; and travel. A Diplomatic Motor Vehicles Program was established in 1984, through which OFM is also to supply a full range of motor vehicle services for the foreign mission community.
On May 1, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Gentry O. Smith, a career Foreign Service officer, to be director of the Office of Foreign Missions with ambassadorial rank during his tenure. Smith appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 11.
Smith, 54, is from Weldon, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina State University, graduating in 1983 with a B.A. in political science. He served for a time as a police officer in Raleigh, North Carolina, before joining the State Department in 1987.
He started in diplomatic security in the department’s Washington field office. In 1989, Smith got his first overseas posting, as assistant regional security officer in Cairo, Egypt. He came home in 1991 to be part of the Secretary of State’s protective detail.
In 1994, Smith became a criminal investigative liaison officer for the State Department, serving in that role for two years. He went overseas again in 1996 to serve as regional security officer in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma.
Smith returned to the United States in 1999 for training at the Foreign Service Institute. In 2000, he went back to Cairo as deputy regional security officer. He was named regional security officer in Tokyo four years later.
After his stint in Tokyo, Smith was named director of the Office of Physical Security Programs. His next post was as deputy assistant secretary and assistant director for countermeasures in October 2009 and he held that job until his nomination to lead the Office of Foreign Missions.
As director of the Office of Foreign Missions, Smith will be responsible for ensuring fair treatment for U.S. missions in other countries and assisting those attached to foreign missions in this country.
Smith and his wife Georgette, also a North Carolina State graduate, have three children.
-Steve Straehley
To Learn More:
Nomination Testimony (pdf)
A Federal agency within the Department of State, OFM claims three basic missions: 1) to provide services for foreign diplomats living in the United States, 2) to monitor the activities of these foreign diplomats so that they do not abuse their immunity status, and 3) to treat foreign diplomats in such a way that their countries will treat U.S. diplomats stationed overseas in the same manner. OFM is authorized to impose restrictions of services on a foreign government and its diplomats if that government imposes them on the U.S. OFM is also authorized to enter into negotiations with that country to remove those restrictions once secure, fair treatment is given American officials in the other country.
OFM was established by Congress as an advocate for U.S. diplomatic treatment abroad, pursuant to the Foreign Missions Act of 1982. That Act gave the United States government jurisdiction over the operation of foreign diplomatic and consular missions and their personnel in the U.S., including responsibility for regulating various activities of the foreign personnel and dependents, as well as facilitating the benefits they are to receive in reciprocation for providing similar privileges to American diplomats in their countries. Those privileges are defined by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which cover four functional areas: the acquisition, ownership, and sale of real property; customs duty-free entry; tax exemption; and travel. A Diplomatic Motor Vehicles Program was established in 1984, through which OFM is also to supply a full range of motor vehicle services for the foreign mission community.
On May 1, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Gentry O. Smith, a career Foreign Service officer, to be director of the Office of Foreign Missions with ambassadorial rank during his tenure. Smith appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 11.
Smith, 54, is from Weldon, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina State University, graduating in 1983 with a B.A. in political science. He served for a time as a police officer in Raleigh, North Carolina, before joining the State Department in 1987.
He started in diplomatic security in the department’s Washington field office. In 1989, Smith got his first overseas posting, as assistant regional security officer in Cairo, Egypt. He came home in 1991 to be part of the Secretary of State’s protective detail.
In 1994, Smith became a criminal investigative liaison officer for the State Department, serving in that role for two years. He went overseas again in 1996 to serve as regional security officer in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma.
Smith returned to the United States in 1999 for training at the Foreign Service Institute. In 2000, he went back to Cairo as deputy regional security officer. He was named regional security officer in Tokyo four years later.
After his stint in Tokyo, Smith was named director of the Office of Physical Security Programs. His next post was as deputy assistant secretary and assistant director for countermeasures in October 2009 and he held that job until his nomination to lead the Office of Foreign Missions.
As director of the Office of Foreign Missions, Smith will be responsible for ensuring fair treatment for U.S. missions in other countries and assisting those attached to foreign missions in this country.
Smith and his wife Georgette, also a North Carolina State graduate, have three children.
-Steve Straehley
To Learn More:
Nomination Testimony (pdf)
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