Lawrence Wilkerson

Lawrence B. Wilkerson (born June 15, 1945) is a retired United States Army Colonel and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wilkerson, a lifelong Republican, is known for his criticism of many aspects of the Iraq War and American policy in the Middle East. He dropped out of Bucknell University in 1966 to volunteer for the Vietnam War, where he served as an Army officer piloting an OH-6A Cayuse observation helicopter. Wilkerson logged approximately 1100 combat hours over a year. After his military career, he became a prominent voice in international relations and foreign policy debates.