I received my packet from the Foreign Service yesterday, with my official offer letter, insurance information, and a book called It’s Your Move from the Office of Logistics Management, Logistics Management Operations, Transportation Division of the U.S. Department of State.  I was excited to look over everything and also starving, so I went to Quiznos to sit down and peruse the booklet while I ate.

I had to laugh, or rather smirk, and shake my head. The booklet is 90+ pages long and the first 15+ pages were completely backasswards.

• The 4 pages of the foreword were in the book first, but the fourth page was bound on the wrong side so that you read the back of it before you read the front
• The next 10 pages after the foreword belonged to the “Outbound” section and were also bound on the wrong side and placed in backwards, so it went 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
• Then finally came the cover sheet which should have been the very first page after the TOC, and it was also bound on the wrong side so it was facing the wrong way
• The two pages of Table of Contents came after the backwards Outbound section cover sheet
• And lastly followed by page 11, after which the rest of the book is in order

 

Today I brought the book to work with me and we just so happen to have our own spiral hole punch and binder machine. So I took the book apart, put all the pages in correct order, re-hole punched them, and rebound the book.

I must say….I feel very confident that this pack out will go smoothly. The attention to detail exhibited here was exemplary and I am sure I am in good hands… … … If nothing else I know I have a lot of great skills to bring to the team!