In 1967, he joined the United States foreign service. At first he worked in Kabul, Afghanistan. He also worked in Blantyre, Malawi from 1968 to 1971. He worked for the United States State Department for 23 years. During that time, he worked for six different Secretaries of State, including Alexander Haig. A Secretary of State is the top government official in the U.S. State Department. A secretary of state is appointed by the United States President. He also worked as a deputy chief at an American embassy in the country of Norway. A deputy chief is a person in charge at the embassy.