American Foreign Services Officers (FSOs) at the Department of State are divided into five career “tracks” or specialties (formerly called “cones”). One specialty is designated for public diplomacy officers, and the others are for political, economic, consular, and management officers. Each new entrant into the Foreign Service is required to choose one of these five specialties, and is expected to spend the bulk of his or her career, although not all of it, in that specialty. Transfer between tracks is rare, although as explained below, cross-assignments have become common. In addition, at the beginning of their careers, FSOs often are required to do a consular assignment, even if their track is not consular.