Out: Embassy in a Box. In: FLEX

Good detail here, given the limitations of secondary reporting. https://t.co/Jto6pl0l0B

— TSB (@TweetingTSB) April 16, 2025

Closing diplomatic posts and changing our overseas presence must be a complicated process, so you'd expect there to be a manual or instructions of some kind. Well, you'd be right, and it's right here in a publicly available document. Feel free to really explore the bureaucratic minutia. 

Assuming you've read that Punchbowl article, let's discuss a few things. 

First, is "FLEX" an acronym, and if so what does it stand for? The answer is yes, and it stands for Fast, Lean, Efficient, and Expedient. In practice that sounds like diplomatic missions of limited scope and scaled-down facilities. Like what a tiny house is to a regular house. 

Another term that probably made you curious is the concept of closed missions being “folded into” nearby embassies. Very odd. My guess is that means some functions and personnel would simply be moved to those nearby missions, and maybe ambassadors would be regionally-accredited to more than one country.  

And what about that plan for our Tri-Mission posts (Rome, Paris, Brussels, Vienna, etc.)? They're in for a shock if the international missions are moved into our bilateral embassies. Can three ambassadors share a single building??? Who gets first dibs on the pool or tennis court??? Endless petty annoyances would ensue. 

Nothing will bring out in-fighting better than a struggle over an up-to 50 percent budget cut. Coming soon.