New Army Reserve Ambassador Appointed to Connecticut

Courtesy Photo | Lewis P. Vasquez serves as Army Reserve Ambassador for Connecticut. He is a special background investigator/consultant, an adjunct professor at Goodwin College in East Hartford, and a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served primarily in military intelligence to include a mobilization during Desert Storm.  

HARTFORD, CT, UNITED STATES

03.27.2017

Courtesy Story

99th Readiness Division

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Major General Troy D. Kok, commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 99th Regional Support Command, has confirmed the appointment by Lieutenant General Charles D. Luckey, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, of Lewis P. Vasquez as a United States Army Reserve Ambassador for Connecticut.

Vasquez is a special background investigator/consultant for ADC Ltd. headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and an adjunct professor at Goodwin College in East Hartford. He is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served primarily in military intelligence to include a mobilization during Desert Storm.

Vasquez’ memberships and affiliations include: Chair Emeritus, Chairman and Executive Director of Connecticut Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve; American Legion Chapter 1771; Reserve Officers’ Association; Association of the United States Army; 1st Company Governor’s Footguard; and Give 2 The Troops.

Vasquez is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College and earned his master’s degrees in Public Administration and Business Administration from the University of Hartford in West Hartford.

The Army Reserve Ambassador Program was established in 1998 to promote awareness of the Army Reserve, its goals and objectives, and to serve as a vital bridge in our states/communities to further educate and garner support for the Army Reserve. Army Regulation 140.1, Chapter 9 outlines the role, function and operational level of the USAR Ambassador. Ambassadors are a powerful means of message delivery to the American people.

The function of the Ambassador is similar to that of Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army, and carries a protocol status equivalent of a Major General that is a key means by which Ambassadors are able to effectively execute their responsibilities. Ambassadors are Special Government Employees who represent the Chief of the Army Reserve without salary, wages or related benefits.

Ambassadors provides Community Outreach assistance to Army Reserve members/families, other military personnel/families as needed, and provide feedback on plans, programs and needs to the Commander of the Army Reserve, the Regional Support Commander and to local USAR Commanders.

Additionally, Ambassadors build relationships and strive to improve the understanding and knowledge of the Army Reserve within the business and social sectors of communities across America. They help to educate the public, community leaders, and congressional staff offices about the capabilities and values of the Army Reserve and the Soldiers who live and work in their communities. They establish open lines of communication with the local communities; and they work to support recruiting efforts by assisting community and business leaders in recognizing that the Army Reserve strengthens the Soldiers, the community, and the Nation.

While not all ARAs have military experience, many are retired officers or senior non commissioned officers who wish to remain engaged in military affairs. Each state and territory has at least one ARA.

For more information, visit http://www.usar.army.mil/Featured/Ambassador-Program/

• Date Taken: 03.27.2017
• Date Posted: 03.27.2017 16:17
• Story ID: 228224
• Location: HARTFORD, CT, US