How Colin Powell built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Colin Powell was a prominent American statesman, diplomat, and army officer. He achieved several historic firsts, including serving as the first African-American United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. Earlier in his career, he was the 15th National Security Advisor (1987-1989) and the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993), solidifying his place as a significant figure in American political and military history.
1958: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant
In 1958, after earning a bachelor's degree and participating in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), Colin Powell was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
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1960: Group Liaison Officer
From 1960, Colin Powell served as a group liaison officer.
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1962: First Tour in Vietnam
From 1962, Captain Colin Powell served a tour in Vietnam as a South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) advisor.
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1962: Company Executive Officer
In 1962, Colin Powell served as company executive officer, and commander of Company A, 1st Battle Group, 4th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.
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1968: Return to Vietnam as Major
In 1968, Colin Powell returned to Vietnam as a major, serving as assistant chief of staff of operations for the 23rd (Americal) Infantry Division and was awarded the Soldier's Medal for bravery.
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1972: White House Fellowship
From 1972, Colin Powell served a White House Fellowship under President Richard Nixon.
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1973: End of White House Fellowship
In 1973, Colin Powell concluded his White House Fellowship under President Richard Nixon.
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1976: Commanded 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division
From 1976, Colin Powell commanded the 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division.
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1977: Commanded 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division
In 1977, Colin Powell continued to command the 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division.
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June 1979: Promotion to Brigadier General
On June 1, 1979, Colin Powell received a promotion to brigadier general.
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1983: Assisted in the Invasion of Grenada
In 1983, Colin Powell assisted Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger during the invasion of Grenada.
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1986: Command of V Corps in Frankfurt
In 1986, Colin Powell took over the command of V Corps in Frankfurt, Germany.
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1987: Appointment as National Security Advisor
In 1987, Colin Powell became Ronald Reagan's National Security Advisor.
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April 1989: Promotion to Four-Star General
In April 1989, Colin Powell was promoted to four-star general and served as the Commander in Chief, Forces Command (FORSCOM).
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October 1989: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
From October 1989, Colin Powell served as the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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October 1989: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
In October 1989, Colin Powell became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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1989: Chief of Staff for Colin Powell
From 1989 to 2003, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson served as Colin Powell's longtime aide-de-camp and Chief of Staff.
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1989: Commander of U.S. Army Forces Command
In 1989, Colin Powell became the commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command.
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1989: Invasion of Panama
In 1989, Colin Powell oversaw responses to 28 crises, including the invasion of Panama to remove General Manuel Noriega from power.
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1989: End of Tenure as National Security Advisor
In 1989, Colin Powell's tenure as National Security Advisor ended.
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1991: Application of Powell Doctrine in Operation Desert Storm
In 1991, Colin Powell applied his approach to military conflicts that maximizes the potential for success and minimizes casualties, dubbed the Powell Doctrine, to Operation Desert Storm.
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1992: Potential Vice Presidential Nominee
In 1992, Colin Powell was considered a potential Democratic vice presidential nominee in the U.S. presidential election.
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September 1993: End of Tenure as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman
Colin Powell's tenure as the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ended in September 1993.
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September 1993: End of Tenure as Joint Chiefs Chairman
In September 1993, Colin Powell's assignment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded.
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September 1993: Resignation as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
On 30 September 1993, Colin Powell resigned early from his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following disagreements and irritation with Secretary of Defense Leslie Aspin.
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September 1993: Early Resignation
On 30 September 1993, Colin Powell took an early resignation from his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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1995: Publication of Autobiography
In 1995, Colin Powell wrote his autobiography, "My American Journey".
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1997: Founded America's Promise
In 1997, Colin Powell founded America's Promise with the objective of helping children from all socioeconomic sectors. The Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service was also established.
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December 2000: Nomination for Secretary of State
On December 16, 2000, President-elect George W. Bush named Colin Powell as his nominee to be secretary of state, making Powell the first person to formally accept a Cabinet post in the Bush administration.
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2000: Powell's statement on Saddam Hussein
As early as 2000, on the day Colin Powell was nominated to be Secretary of State, he told the press "Saddam is sitting on a failed regime that is not going to be around in a few years time".
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January 2001: Confirmed as Secretary of State
On January 20, 2001, Colin Powell was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as secretary of state and was ceremonially sworn in on January 26.
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February 2001: Statement on Sanctions Against Iraq
In a press statement on 24 February 2001, Colin Powell stated that sanctions against Iraq had prevented the development of weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein and favored international community involvement in any potential invasion.
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April 2001: Hainan Island Incident
On 1 April 2001, the Hainan Island incident occurred involving a United States surveillance aircraft and a Chinese jet fighter. Colin Powell's expression of "very sorry" was accepted as sufficient for the formal apology that China had sought.
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September 2001: Response to 9/11
On 11 September 2001, while in Lima, Peru, for a meeting of foreign ministers, Colin Powell's role as Secretary of State became critically important in managing international relationships and securing a coalition in the War on Terrorism following the terror attacks.
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2001: Appointed Secretary of State
In 2001, George W. Bush appointed Colin Powell as Secretary of State after winning the general election.
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2001: Son Appointed FCC Chairman
In 2001, Michael Powell, Colin Powell's son, became the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
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February 2003: UN Security Council Address
On 5 February 2003, Colin Powell addressed the United Nations Security Council to argue in favor of military action against Iraq, asserting Saddam Hussein's possession of biological weapons and efforts to obtain nuclear weapons components.
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2003: Powell Believed Iraq Troop surge of 2007 should have come sooner
By mid-2009, Colin Powell had concluded a surge of U.S. forces in Iraq should have come sooner, perhaps in late 2003.
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2003: Invasion of Iraq
In 2003 Colin Powell came under fire for his role in building the case for the invasion of Iraq.
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2003: Powell Supports Bush's Decision to Invade Iraq
In 2003, after not being able to go through the U.N., Colin Powell stated that he supported President Bush's decision to invade Iraq.
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September 2004: Darfur Genocide
In September 2004, Colin Powell described the Darfur conflict as "genocide", becoming the first cabinet member to use the term for an ongoing conflict.
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September 2004: Testimony Before Senate Committee
On 13 September 2004, Colin Powell testified before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, acknowledging that the sources who provided much of the information in his February 2003 UN presentation were "wrong" and that it was "unlikely" that any stockpiles of WMDs would be found.
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November 2004: Resignation as Secretary of State
In November 2004, Colin Powell announced his resignation as Secretary of State on 15 November, shortly after George W. Bush was reelected, following Bush's desire communicated via Andrew Card, and was succeeded by Condoleezza Rice.
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2004: Inaccurate Evidence for WMDs
In 2004 a report by the Iraq Survey Group concluded that the evidence that Colin Powell offered to support the allegation that the Iraqi government possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) was inaccurate.
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2004: Resignation After Bush Reelected
In 2004, Colin Powell resigned from his position as Secretary of State after President George W. Bush was reelected.
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April 2005: Powell Expresses Reservations About John Bolton Nomination
In April 2005, Colin Powell privately expressed reservations to Republican senators about the nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations. He refrained from advising them to oppose Bolton, despite previous clashes.
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April 2005: Blumenthal Claims Powell "Conducting a Campaign" Against Bolton
In April 2005, Sidney Blumenthal claimed that Powell was "conducting a campaign" against Bolton due to previous acrimonious battles, including Bolton allegedly spying on Powell.
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September 2005: "Blot" on his Record
In September 2005, Colin Powell described his 2003 speech before the United Nations as a "blot" on his record during an interview with Barbara Walters.
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2005: Son Leaves FCC
In 2005, Michael Powell, Colin Powell's son, ended his term as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
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January 2006: Powell Participates in White House Meeting on Foreign Policy
In January 2006, Colin Powell participated in a White House meeting with former Secretaries of Defense and State to discuss United States foreign policy with Bush administration officials.
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September 2006: Powell Expresses Opposition to Bush's Military Tribunals
In September 2006, Colin Powell expressed opposition to President Bush's push for military tribunals of those formerly and currently classified as enemy combatants, objecting to redefining Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention.
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September 2006: Powell Sides With Moderate Republicans on Detainee Rights
In September 2006, Powell sided with more moderate Senate Republicans in supporting more rights for detainees and opposing President Bush's terrorism bill, expressing concerns about the moral basis of the fight against terrorism.
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December 2006: Powell Expresses Skepticism About Iraq Troop Surge
In December 2006, Colin Powell expressed skepticism that the Iraq troop surge strategy would work and whether the U.S. military had enough troops to carry it out successfully.
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2007: Powell Discusses Consequences of Iraq Invasion With President Bush
At the 2007 Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, Colin Powell stated that he had spent two and a half hours explaining to President Bush "the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers".
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2007: Powell Joins Revolution Health Board
In 2007, Colin Powell joined the board of directors of Steve Case's new company Revolution Health and served on the Council on Foreign Relations Board of Directors.
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October 2008: Powell Praises Petraeus and Troops on Iraq troop surge of 2007
In October 2008, following his endorsement of Barack Obama, Powell praised General David Petraeus and U.S. troops, as well as the Iraqi government, concluding that "it's starting to turn around".
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October 2008: Powell Endorses Barack Obama for President
On October 19, 2008, Colin Powell announced his endorsement of Barack Obama for president, citing his ability to inspire and the inclusive nature of his campaign, as well as questioning McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as VP.
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December 2008: Powell States Palin Pushed the Republican Party Further to the Right
In a December 2008 CNN interview, Powell reiterated his belief that during the last few months of the campaign, Palin pushed the Republican party further to the right and had a polarizing impact on it.
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2008: Powell Serves as Spokesperson for National Mentoring Month
In 2008, Colin Powell served as a spokesperson for National Mentoring Month, a campaign held each January to recruit volunteer mentors for at-risk youth.
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2008: Powell Reiterates Support for 2003 Iraq Invasion
In a 2008 interview on CNN, Colin Powell reiterated his support for the 2003 decision to invade Iraq in the context of his endorsement of Barack Obama, stating that he supported the decision after failing to get U.N. approval.
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September 2009: Powell Advises Against Surge in Afghanistan
In September 2009, Colin Powell advised President Obama against surging U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
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2009: Powell Concludes Iraq Troop Surge Should Have Come Sooner
By mid-2009, Colin Powell had concluded a surge of U.S. forces in Iraq should have come sooner, perhaps in late 2003.
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January 2010: Powell Supports Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
In January 2010, Powell voiced his support for repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
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2010: Powell Joins Smithsonian Advisory Council
In 2010, Colin Powell joined the Smithsonian advisory council, supporting the National Museum of African American History and Culture with his wife, Alma Powell.
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October 2012: Powell Endorses Obama for Re-Election
On October 25, 2012, Colin Powell endorsed President Obama for re-election, citing his success in foreign and domestic policy and concerns about Mitt Romney's positions and economic plans.
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2012: Publication of "It Worked for Me"
In 2012, Colin Powell published another book titled, "It Worked for Me: Lessons in Life and Leadership".
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March 2014: Powell Joins Salesforce.com Board of Directors
In March 2014, it was announced that Colin Powell had joined the board of directors of Salesforce.com.
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October 2016: Powell Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
On October 25, 2016, Colin Powell endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, stating that she was qualified and the other candidate, Donald Trump, was not.
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October 2019: Powell Warns GOP
In October 2019, Colin Powell cautioned that the Republican Party needed to prioritize the country over their party and confront President Trump.
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June 2020: Powell Announces Support for Biden
In June 2020, Colin Powell publicly announced his decision to vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 United States presidential election.
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