That's A First: Col. Viet Luong

Monday, July 27, 2009

For all my Viet peeps straight from the Daily Dose:

Fresh off a 14-month deployment to Iraq, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division is preparing for a new Afghanistan mission with a new commander who brings a unique perspective to the ongoing wars. Col. Viet Luong came to America in 1975 with his family as refugees from Vietnam. He said he is considered the first Vietnamese-American to command an Army combat brigade, having taken up his post in February. From growing up amid a war to preparing a battle-hardened brigade for its fifth deployment, he describes his rise to the post as a deeply satisfying journey. Luong began his military career after graduating from the University of Southern California and has mostly served with the Army’s airborne units, including the 82nd Airborne Division in North Carolina and the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Italy.