Colin Powell, four-star general in the U.S. Army, Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, because his life-long service to his country both in and out of government offers an inspiring model of leadership for the next generation of Americans

Colin Powell is a general and a statesman with over fifty years of service to the United States. From his earliest days in the military as an ROTC cadet, to being wounded in Vietnam, to rising to the rank of a four-star general, to serving in top national defense and security administrative posts, Powell has shaped American defense and foreign policy through efficient leadership and devotion to duty.

Colin Powell is retired from the U.S. Army, and has served in a number of key positions in both military and civilian leadership under six different presidential Administrations. Beginning his career by serving two tours in Vietnam in 1962 and in 1968 where he was awarded a Purple Heart and the Soldier's Medal, Powell's meteoric rise in the military to the rank of four-star general has been accompanied by unprecedented appointments to high-ranking positions in government. He served as National Security Adviser for President Reagan from 1987-1989, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs for President George H. W. Bush from 1989-1993, and Secretary of State for President George W. Bush from 2001-2005.

Powell's corollary to the Defense Secretary Weinberger's Doctrine on American war-fighting policy in the 1980s served as a rubric for the U.S. military action in the highly successful 1991 Gulf War. His tenure as Secretary of State marked a time of efficiency and close relationships between not only other departments of the U.S. government, but between foreign governments as well.

In 1997, between government services, Powell founded America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth, to assist children of all socio-economic backgrounds in pursuit of the American dream. His wife Alma now serves as Chairperson of America's Promise.