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This article presents a study of American civilians who work with American organizations overseas. More than 100,000 American civilians work with U.S. organizations overseas, including about 25,000 businessmen. The most important trademark of American firms is the competence and conduct of their American employees, and the way these employees treat the local employees who often outnumber the Americans by 15 to 1. In recent years increasing attention has been given to training for overseas assignments by government, missions and, to a lesser degree, business. This study suggests two policies which would greatly extend the limits of what can be done in a few weeks of "orientation". The first would be wider recognition that the best recruiting system is a training program. During such a program the instructors would be able to develop a mature judgment as to how good a risk each trainee is for work and life overseas, and come to know his wife and family situation well. The hiring agency would then be in a position to select from a pool of qualified people who already had some exposure to learning about and being tested in the elements of effective overseas performance, instead of being hired beforehand and tested on the job.