Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel    
    
        Special Victims Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 University experience strengthens Mideast military ties By Sgt. 1st Class Darron Salzer
                38th Infantry Division
 AMMAN, Jordan – U.S. Army Col. Kirk White is a gregarious man. He is also the officer in charge of Task Force Spartan - Jordan, a forward command post of Task Force Spartan in Southwest Asia, where he oversees the military partnership between the U.S. Army and Jordan Armed Forces. “I do a lot of work directly engaging with our Jordanian partners to see how we can come together and build a plan to help keep Jordan as safe and stable as it can be so this country continues to be a beacon of peace in this region,” he said. White dispatches the duties of his current posting with a deftness that comes only with years of experience in refining the interpersonal skills needed to bridge barriers in building partnerships and forging lifelong friendships. Experience owing to his career at Indiana University. “I’ve been fortunate to have a career, both at Indiana University and in the Indiana National Guard, that has allowed me to understand the importance of building partnerships,” White said. A native of Crawfordsville and Newburgh, Indiana, White has worked at the university for 35 years in various areas such as university relations, communication and alumni relations. He is currently the assistant vice president for strategic partnerships, focusing on economic development and government relations. “On the government relations side, I work on how we can connect IU-Bloomington with city and county government to take advantage of the resources and assets IU brings to a community like Bloomington and Monroe County,” White said, “and how we can best connect with employers, government agencies and the people of Bloomington to make it a great community.” “On the economic development side, I do a lot of work with military organizations throughout Indiana, an area the university has assigned me to because of my knowledge of the armed services,” he said. Because of these experiences at IU, White was chosen by Maj. Gen. Gordon Ellis, the commanding general of 38th Infantry Division, to oversee the Task Force Spartan mission in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. “When he asked me to lead this mission, I was honored he felt I had the right skill-set to be here,” White said. “I think he and I understand the importance of the relationships –personal and professional – you build during these deployments,” he said. “Our mission is not to be a military occupier; it’s to be a military partnership builder. “Whether that’s here in Jordan or Afghanistan, the relationships we build on a daily or weekly basis with our counterparts to me are the most important part of this service.” However, it takes a profound sense of empathy to build these bonds successfully, a skill White said can be difficult for some military professionals. “If I sit down with a Jordanian officer, I need put myself in their boots and try to look at the world from their point of view,” White said. “What are their dreams, their goals, and how are they like mine? I know we both share a desire to have a safe and stable future for our children and our grandchildren, and I know – like us – that the Jordan Armed Forces work every day toward that goal.” It is, therefore, essential for leaders and soldiers like White to work together daily, face-to-face, with their military counterparts in Jordan. “The closer we can get to being shoulder-to-shoulder with our Jordanian friends, the better we’ll all be,” he said. “We [the Army] can run a command post anywhere in the world, but we can only get close to our partners in the places they want to work with us.” “We’ve got that here in Jordan, in every way imaginable,” he continued. “It is rewarding to every day get up and know we are building relationships with our friends here in Jordan, who will remain friends probably for life.” As this deployment – his third since 2005 – comes to an end, White is thankful for everything this part of the Middle East has taught him. “I think too many Americans misunderstand our place as world citizens as Americans, but we have a responsibility with the gifts our forefathers have given us to help further the goals of peace and freedom,” he said, “and the best way to understand and achieve these goals is to work alongside people of different nations and cultures.” “I hope when I leave here, I am able to have a more in-depth understanding of this region of the world,” he said. He also hopes to leave a better leader. “Being a military officer is like being in a constant leadership laboratory,” he said, “and the tests I have to take every day help me learn to be a better leader, better planner, a better executor, and a better evaluator. “These lessons I’ve learned here will translate into me being a better administrator in the civilian world and a better asset for Indiana University.”
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise
 By Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier,
  National Guard, US Army North, FEMA Train for Hurricane Response
 By Capt. Tara Santon and 1st Lt. Karlee Skaggs,
  Cal Air Guard F-15 Pilots Train with Marine Corps F-35 Pilots
 By Maj. Jason Sanchez,
  More
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • 56 minutes ago
 National Guard, US Army North, FEMA Train for Hurricane Response Guard News • 1 hour ago
 Cal Air Guard F-15 Pilots Train with Marine Corps F-35 Pilots Guard News • 2 hours ago
 Tennessee Guard Rescues Hiker in Great Smoky Mountains Park Guard News • 2 days ago
 Champions Repeat at NH National Guard Marksmanship Match Guard News • 3 days ago
 2024 (192)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil