Anne Smedinghoff
Public diplomacy officer killed at age 25 in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, while escorting journalists to a donation of books to a school.
Service Record
| Born | September 18, 1987 |
|---|---|
| Hometown | River Forest, Illinois |
| Education | Fenwick High School; Johns Hopkins University, international studies |
| First post | Caracas, Venezuela |
| Final post | Press officer, U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Died | April 6, 2013, Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, age 25 |
| Memorial | Memorial fund in her name at Johns Hopkins University |
Overview
Anne Smedinghoff was among the youngest members of the Foreign Service ever to die in the line of duty. She was the first American diplomat killed on the job after the Benghazi attack of 2012.
Early Life and Education
She grew up in River Forest, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago, the second of four children. She attended Fenwick High School and studied international studies at Johns Hopkins University, where she helped organize the university's annual Foreign Affairs Symposium in 2008. After graduating, she rode a bicycle from Baltimore to San Francisco to raise money for cancer research.
Foreign Service
Her first assignment was Caracas, Venezuela. She then served at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as a press officer. About two weeks before her death she helped support Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Afghanistan.
Sacrifice
On April 6, 2013, she was helping Afghan journalists cover an event in Qalat, Zabul Province, at which the local Provincial Reconstruction Team was donating math and science books to a school. A bomb attack struck the group. She was one of five Americans killed. She was 25.
Legacy
Her family and friends established a memorial fund in her name at Johns Hopkins University. Her work that day, bringing books to Afghan schoolchildren and helping local reporters tell the story, is what public diplomacy looks like at its best.
Recognition
Envoys of Record honors Anne Smedinghoff among the members of the Foreign Service who gave their lives in the service of the United States. Their names are kept here so that their service is not forgotten.