Brigadier general viet luong biography

Retrieved April 30, Retrieved Press Operations. March 15, Department of Defense. Retrieved 29 September Viet X. Luong takes command of U. Army Japan; Maj. Pasquarette to become Army G-8". Luong was 9 years old when he fled Vietnam with his family in Inhe became one of only 27 battalion commanders of Asian descent in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division.

At the time, Luong said, he felt a need to outperform his white counterparts to earn equal recognition. In order to be successful, you need a lot of support, you need mentorship, and you need advocacy. Twitter: ThisEarlGirl. Viet X. Luong gets promoted from Colonel to Brig. General of the U. Army in a ceremony on August 6, at Fort Hood, Texas.

Today, he holds the reigning achievement of being the first-ever Vietnamese-born person to reach the rank of Brig. General in the U. Army Ghandi, It was late Aprilin the dying days of the Vietnam War. There, it was decided that the Luong family would depart Vietnam before the communist takeover. Following a harrowing excursion to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, which involved sightings of communist artillery fire, Viet and his family entered a Marine helicopter and flew out to the Pacific.

During his time in the ROTChe was the only cadet from an ethnic background Garsema, Upon graduation, he joined the U. Army, and so began his professional military career Bowman, Through patience, hard work, and determination, Viet rose through the ranks of the U. Army to become the first Vietnamese-born ever to reach the level of general officer.

The first place the Luong family went to in the United States was the large refugee camp, established at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, he said. Luong's dad had served and fought long before the American troop buildup in South Vietnam. He had been a French commando in the early s, when the country was known as French Indochina. Luong's father made a "bold decision," Luong said.

Despite offers from France, he chose to live in Los Angeles. The reason, Luong said, is that the U. But upward mobility and progression was slow for the family, which settled down in a poor neighborhood near Echo Park.

Brigadier general viet luong biography

Most of my friends growing up were Hispanic. We were pretty much enculturated into the community and learned to appreciate that. When not in school learning to speak English and other subjects, he said he enjoyed playing sports for his pastime. He also learned to play the violin and the guitar. But Luong said he still had the dream of joining the military -- either the Marine Corps or an Army paratrooper or Ranger unit as an officer.

Before becoming an officer, Luong had to get a degree, so he recalled visiting the University of Southern California for an orientation. That sealed the deal. Luong's first assignment was at Fort Carson, Colorado, where he served as a platoon leader with 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment. Although Luong described himself as "very nimble and athletic growing up," he said being in the infantry is very physically demanding.

Mental things are not a big deal for me.