Former Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Delivers Compassionate Message to Departing Federal Workers

Former Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, Tom Countryman, speaks directly to federal employees who have been dismissed, offering compassion, encouragement, and heartfelt advice. Drawing from his own experience of being abruptly fired, he urges public servants to take care of themselves, preserve their work, and remember their worth.

Countryman reminds them that their service matters and that even when leadership fails to show appreciation, they are respected and admired by the American people.

This speech was delivered outside the State Department in July 2025.