Colin+Powell

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Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem in April 5, 1937. His parents were Jamaican immigrants who moved in the Southern Bronx, where Powell grew up and eventually graduated from high school. After graduation, he entered the City College of New York to study geology, where he found his career path. He joined the [|Reserve Officers Training Corps] (ROTC), and became commander of his unit's precision drill team and graduated in 1958 at the top of his class. He held the rank of cadet colonel, the highest rank in the ROTC. From that point on, he began his career in military service..

After graduation, during the time, the United States was currently in the war on Communism (Also known commonly as the [|Cold War] between the USA and the Soviet Union). Vietnam was one of the countires besides Russia that had Communism policies. Powell was sent to South Vietnam as one of the 16,000 military advisors by [|President Kennedy] in 1962. During Powell's patrol around the Vietnamese border with Laos, in 1963, he was wounded by a punji-stick booby trap. Later, he was injured in a helicopter crash. Despite his injuries, he rescued his crew and for his actions, he recived the Soldier's Medal. He was also awarded the Purple Heart for his brave actions, as well as the Bronze Star. In total from Powell's campaigns, he recieved 11 military decorations, including the Legion of Heart.

Throughout the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Powell had served under the Nixon Administration, assigned in the Office of Management and Budget. He was later promoted to Brigadier General and commanded the Brigade of the 101th Airborne Division, during the Carter Administration. During that time, he was an assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Energy. Afterwards, he was promoted to Major General, working under the Regean Administration. From his experiences in doing public and foreign affairs, he became the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. From then, he played a key role in 1991, serving under the first Bush Administration, of [|the Gulf War].

Powell quickly became a national figure following the success of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations. He continued to work as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff (the position he held during the first Bush Administration, and most notably, during the Gulf War) during the first months of the Clinton Administration. He later resigned from military service shortly after reaching a compromise with President Clinton on the Don't Ask, Don't tell policy (A hotly debated topic even on the 2008 elections today). During his absence from the public eye, he had dedicated his work with young people as Chairman of America's Promise: the Alliance for Youth. Powell was very popular enough that people urged him to run for President, but he declined to actually seek public office. He registered himself as a Republican in 1995, even though during his time in the military, he would register to vote as an independant (As well as serving in both Republican and Democratic Administrations). Six years later, President-Elect George W. Bush appointed him as Secretary of State (The highest position ever held by an African-American in the United States government). It was from this position that he took initatives in many foreign policies with other governments. After 9/11, he took the initative to rally American allies for military action on Afghanistan. Following the attacks, reports had shown Powell having differing opinions with President Bush's plan to remove Saddam Hussein out of power. Despite this, he appeared before the United Nations presenting evidence that Iraq was running an unapproved weapons program (It would eventually lead to the Iraq war). After the presentation, the evidence was later discredited, including the fact that no weapons program existed by findings of American forces. Powell resigned from his position shortly after the re-election of Bush in 2004, and voiced many criticisms of how the Iraq war is handled. Today, he continues to selectively speak on public affairs.