Black History Month: Recognizing Gen. Colin Powell

2/4/2020 (Permalink)

Gen. Colin Powell Photo Credit: United States Joint Chiefs of Staff

February 5^th, 2020

Black History Month

SERVPRO of LBL South Recognizes United States Army Gen. Colin Powell (ret)

     In honor of Black History Month, SERVPRO of LB South would like to recognize retired Gen. Colin Powell. Gen. Powell was born from Jamaican immigrants on April 5^th of 1937 in Harlem, New York. At the young age of 16, Powell entered into the City College of New York where he joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC), where he attained the highest rank any student in the program can achieve.

     Following his completion of college, Gen. Powell quickly climbed the ranks in the US Army by completing various training in US Army Airborne School, Ranger School, then joined the 3d Armored Division in Germany. During his time in the military, which included a stint in the Vietnam conflict, Powell advised a southern Vietnamese infantry battalion. It was during this tour that Powell was injured, thus enabling him to receive the Purple Heart.

     In 1979, after years of active duty commission, Powell was promoted to Brigadier General, and assigned work under the Office of the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF). Not long after this assignment. Gen. Powell was called upon by then President Ronald Reagan to serve as the Deputy National Security Advisor under Frank Carlucci. When Carlucci became the Secretary of Defense, Powell was already in line to succeed him.

    Over the years, Powell served the nation in various roles, working with leaders from both political parties on issues such as Leadership, National Security, and much more. His was so successful in fact, that upon his retirement, was awarded his second Presidential Medal of Freedom. Queen Elizabeth II also made him an Honorary Knight of the Bath. Since his retirement from public service, Powell has spent his time publishing books, and public speaking, using his life experiences as a foundation to encourage growth in various areas. Powell has continued to serve the nation through his limitless advice on Leadership, and how to overcome obstacles using a common sense approach. He is living proof that hard work and determination has no limits, in so long as one is willing to keep an eye trained on the end objective.

“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them!” – Gen. Colin Powell

Resources:

Joint Chiefs of Staff. 2020. Colin Lither Powell. Febriary 04. Accessed February 04, 2020. https://www.jcs.mil/About/The-Joint-Staff/Chairman/General-Colin-Luther-Powell/.

The Military Leader. n.d. 11 Priceless Colin Powell Quotes. Accessed February 04, 2020. https://www.themilitaryleader.com/priceless-colin-powell/.