By Jolene Farley
Former Hills resident Jim Theis doesn't make it home very often. His duties as a Foreign Service officer have transported him to United States embassies in Central America and later to Washington, D.C., to work on various assignments.
A 1975 Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduate, Theis attended Michigan State University before earning his law degree from the University of Minnesota.
After graduation, Theis enlisted in the Army and served from 1983 to 1987 as a captain in Field Artillery. He said military service "increased his interest in traveling around the world."
After his stint in the Army, Theis became a legislative assistant for South Dakota Sen. Larry Pressler from 1987 to 1990, covering technical and communication issues.
In 1990, Theis decided to take the written and oral exams needed to become a Foreign Service officer.
About 10 percent of people who take the written exam pass. Of those, only 10 percent pass the oral exam. The exam contains questions about history, geography, economics and management, among other subjects. Also required are thorough medical examinations and a background check.
The Foreign Service is divided into five "career tracks" - political, economic, consular, administrative and public diplomacy.
Theis works as a consular officer. Consular officers serving at U.S. embassies overseas assist Americans who lose passports, family members of Americans who die overseas, Americans who adopt children overseas, and foreign-born children who obtain American citizenship papers. The Consular sections in U.S. embassies also issues visas to foreigners traveling or emigrating to the United States.
Taking into consideration the qualifications of the individual, the Foreign Service decides where officers are sent on their two-year "tours."
"We submit a 'bid' with at least six positions we are interested in," Theis said. Officers are not guaranteed any of the locations they bid on, he said.
Guidelines for bids include no more than three bids in one geographic area, candidates must know the language of the area they are bidding and candidates must have the correct rank for the position they are bidding.
Theis's first tour was in El Salvador, his second choice in the bidding process. His second tour was in Costa Rica.
When Theis transferred to Washington in 1996, he was assigned to the Cuba office or "desk," as the Foreign Service calls the offices that deal with issues in certain countries. Theis worked on migration issues between the United States and Cuba, traveling from the United States to Cuba more than once.
His next tour in 1998 through 2000 was again in Washington, with the Bureau of Consular Affairs in the Office of Overseas Citizens Services. This office coordinates everything done for Americans overseas. If officers at a particular embassy have difficulty they call on the Office of Overseas Citizens, according to Theis.
Because Foreign Service officers can remain in one location for only three tours, Theis knows he will be sent overseas after his current assignment, training others for consular work, is done.
Theis says Costa Rica was the most enjoyable of his overseas travels so far. "There is so much to see in that country, rain forests, active volcanoes, beautiful beaches. It's just a very nice country to live in," he said.
"I expected Latin America to be more different than it was from the United States. The rest of the world is slowly becoming Americanized, including Pizza Hut, Burger King and cable TV."
Theis said he could watch any of the major U.S. networks while he was in Latin America. "I could sit at home and watch the Vikings play and order in from Pizza Hut."
"A lot of people overseas have a ... kind of 'schizo' view towards the United States," Theis said. "You'll see a college student protesting against the U.S. one day, and the next day they will show up at the window for a visa."
The United States is clearly the top choice of countries in the world in which to live, Theis said.
Some foreign governments dislike U.S. policies. In Latin America, however, the United States is very well perceived, according to Theis.
"Obviously, in the Arabic world there is a lot of hostility related to our support of Israel," said Theis.
In the past, Theis was never frightened during his travels, even on his trips to Cuba. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, his sense of security depends on where he is sent on his next tour. "Obviously, terrorists can strike anywhere," said Theis.
Theis said he agrees with the actions the Bush administration has taken so far against the terrorists.
"The administration is taking a very well-thought-out approach ... differentiating between terrorists and the general population, differentiating between bin Laden and the Islamic population, and actively focusing on terrorists themselves."
Theis was teaching a class a few miles away from the Pentagon when the terrorist blast occurred in Washington, D.C. Although all federal buildings were evacuated, Theis stayed behind because he had task force experience. The Foreign Service establishes a task force when a big event happens.
Theis remained in the building until a formal task force roster was prepared. "It was nice to feel useful," he said.
The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon has permanently changed the way Americans think, according to Theis. Many Americans thought of terrorism as something that was far removed from the United States, only happening somewhere else.
"As a nation we have permanently changed our approach toward that feeling of security," Theis said.