Bert Mizusawa Bert Kameaaloha “ Bert ” Mizusawa ( born January 1957 ) is a major general in the United States Army Reserve . His awards include the Silver Star , Legion of Merit , Bronze Star Medal , and 30 other awards as well as the Combat Infantryman , Master Parachutist , Ranger tab , Air Assault , and Joint Chiefs of Staff Badges . Mizusawa has also received the Humanitarian Service Medal , the Meritorious Civilian Service Award , and awards from two foreign governments . Early life . Bert K . Mizusawa , a Japanese American , was born January 1957 in Honolulu , Hawaii . Mizusawa is the second of six boys born to George and Theodora Mizusawa . Mizusawa ' s father met his mother in Europe ( 1953 ) while serving in the United States Army . Soon thereafter Mizusawa ' s father enlisted in the United States Air Force , moving the Mizusawa Family to Langley Air Force Base in Hampton , Virginia . Education . Kecoughtan High School In 1975 Mizusawa graduated from Kecoughtan High School in Hampton , Virginia . While in high school Mizusawa participated in varsity football , wrestling , and track . West Point In 1975 Mizusawa was accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point . While at West Point he served in the Cadet Captain position as Assistant Operations Officer . On June 6 , 1979 Mizusawa received his diploma from then Deputy Secretary of Defense , Charles W . Duncan , Jr . , and graduated as the “ number one man ” — first in his class . Harvard In 1986 Mizusawa was accepted to Harvard Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1989 . He also received a Master of Public Policy from the John F . Kennedy School of Government and was selected as a MacArthur Fellow , interning on the United States Attorneys ’ Counterdrug Task Force . Military . Graduating as top man on the list , Cadet Bert K . Mizusawa received his first choice in the USMA Corps of Cadets ’ branch drawings — infantry . Captain . As a Captain , Mizusawa — an Airborne Ranger , served as a paratrooper in Italy and commanded an elite infantry unit in the Korean DMZ . Colonel . As a Colonel , Mizusawa commanded the first team deployed to Afghanistan from the Joint Center for Operational Analysis , U . S . Joint Forces Command , and the Army Reserve Information Operations Command . Brigadier General . Mizusawa was the Deputy Commanding General of the 335th Signal Command Theater . Prior to this Brig . Gen . Mizusawa served as the Deputy G3 of the U . S . Army Materiel Command ; and as Deputy to the Commanding General , Multinational Corps - Iraq . Major General . On August 2 , 2011 Brig . Gen . Bert K . Mizusawa was promoted to major general and assumed the assignment of Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives , Joint Chiefs of Staff . Government . From 1995 to 1998 , Bert Mizusawa was appointed to the Professional Staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services , where he assisted the Chairman with oversight of national defense . In 1996 , he authored the GOP national security platform for the presidential campaign . In 1998 , he was appointed as a three - star level Senior Executive in The Pentagon . Mizusawa is currently serving as Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives , Joint Chiefs of Staff , Washington , D . C . . Bert K . Mizusawa , Esq . is currently admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and the State of New York . During the United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia , 2010 , Gen . Mizusawa unsuccessfully stood for the Republican nomination to stand in Virginia ' s 2nd congressional district . Though leading financially in the last two periods and was seen as a front runner , he ultimately came third in the primary behind eventual nominee Scott Rigell who went on to defeat incumbent Glenn Nye .