Gen. Colin L. Powell, who is expected to be named the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is described by colleagues as a ``soldier's soldier'' who doesn't particularly like staff jobs. The four-star Army general, who became national security adviser in 1987 and heads the U.S. Forces Command at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, would become the first black to serve as the nation's senior military officer. The 52-year-old son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell was highly regarded by President Reagan, succeeding Frank C. Carlucci as Reagan's national security adviser. ``He was the general who guided preparations for the Gorbachev summits, who helped restructure and give new direction to the National Security Council following the Iran-Contra investigation, and who, by his personal integrity and commitment, has restored confidence in the National Security Council itself,'' said White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater. Those qualities were cited by The Washington Post in calling Powell the ``antidote to Ollie North,'' the former NSC aide convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal. ``Colin gets mad at me when I say this, but I think he should go to the very top of the military establishment _ up to and including chairman of the joint chiefs of staff,'' Carlucci has said. A senior administration official said in Washington on Wednesday that President Bush is expected to name Powell to the position. Powell took over U.S. Forces Command, or FORSCOM, in April, putting him in charge of troop readiness and deployment for the U.S. Army. In interviews since then, he has emphasized he's proud of the accomplishments of the average U.S. soldier over the years. In the old days, Powell said, soldiers would keep a pinball machine in a corner of their barracks. ``Today there's a computer there.'' On personal level, however, Powell doesn't always keep up with the times. You'd only know the 1972 Chrysler station wagon parked in the general's space each day was his by reading the four-star decal on its front. Washington colleagues have described Powell as a ``soldier's soldier'' who doesn't like staff jobs. Carlucci says that Powell has always been reluctant to be a bureaucrat and that Reagan got Powell to accept the job of national security adviser after the general had turned Carlucci down several times. In his time off, he tells young blacks to spend their lives helping to open doors for minorities. ``Don't squander the blood, sweat and tears of those who paved the way for you,'' he told Clark Atlanta University graduates this spring. ``The greatest danger ... is complacency.'' He tells of his battles with racial discrimination, recalling the time an Alabama state trooper pulled him over for speeding in the early 1960s. The trooper looked at the car, complete with New York plates and an LBJ bumper sticker, and hissed, ``Boy, get out of here.'' On the job, Powell emphasizes his commitment to obtaining resources for his troops, a task he said was top priority when he became FORSCOM commander. As leader of Powell is responsible for the training and preparedness of more than 1 million active, reserve and National Guard troops in the United States. Powell's daily interests are more pressing: Keeping his troops ready for combat ``with the hope they will never be needed.'' And in that position, he keeps a close eye on the Soviet Union. ``The Soviets are going through wrenching historic change, beginning with the irreversible acknowledgement that their system is broken and has to be changed,'' he said at his FORSCOM installation. But ``their FORSCOM is strong. We must be strong.'' Born in New York, Powell completed training in the Airborne and Ranger schools and served in Germany and Vietnam. Commissioned in the infantry in 1958, he was wounded twice during two tours in Vietnam, once falling into a trap lined with sharpened bamboo sticks and impaling a foot. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Powell and his wife, Alma, have two daughters and a son.
General Colin Powell is expected to be named the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He became national security adviser in 1987 and heads the U.S. Forces Command at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, putting him in charge of troop readiness and deployment for the U.S. Army. He has emphasized he is proud of the accomplishments of the average U.S. soldier over the years. In his time off, he tells young blacks to spend their lives helping to open the doors for minorities and tells of his battles with racial discrimination. His daily interest is keeping troops ready for combat.