Tomseth, Ambassador Bruce Laingen, and Security Officer Mike Howland were at the Iranian Foreign Ministry when the students stormed the Embassy.

[3] During the early days of their incarceration, Tomseth talked on the telephone to his Thai cook in Tehran, Somchai Sriweawnetr.

Speaking Thai, which his Iranian captors did not understand, Tomseth requested that Somchai hide five Americans who had escaped the Embassy.

[7] From 1998 to 2000 he was employed with the rank of Ambassador by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe serving as Deputy Head of Mission for Croatia and the Chief of a Task Force for Rapid Expert Assistance and Cooperation Teams (REACT).

In 2001 he became an independent consultant contracted by Booz Allen Hamilton to participate in military exercises with the United States Pacific Command headquarters.