I was fortunate enough to be the Assistant to the DA for the Eastern Caribbean. Like many others I thought it would be a life of endless cocktail parties and sitting on the beach - there was some of that, but a lot of work too. When there are only two of you and one is a Captain RN and you are a Senior Rate who do you think gets most of the crap jobs? But on the subject of the thread, it would be very difficult for service personnel working in Embassies and High COmmissions to sort out many of the snags caused by the beaurocracy of the host nation without the support of the FCO diplomats and their local organisation. My Boss had diplomatic status but I did not so often had more snags with the local authorities as I couldn't wave a dip pass at them and give them a stiff ignoring. We didn't pay for anything except overseas phone calls from home (the FCO paid the line rental). I expected to pay MQ charges but there was no requirement. Rather than penalise the MOD, the FCO should start charging their diplomats. We are in these jobs because the FCO no bugger all about defence matters....come to that they are not too hot on foreign policy either!