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JINSA Generals and Admirals Program Returns From Israel

- Tuesday, June 3, 2014 |
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The 2014 JINSA Generals and Admirals Program delegation returned last week from a ten-day trip to Israel in which it participated in a series of briefings on the Middle East security situation and the U.S.-Israeli strategic partnership with senior Israeli leaders.

The 2014 JINSA Generals and Admirals Program delegation returned last week from a ten-day trip to Israel in which it participated in a series of briefings on the Middle East security situation and the U.S.-Israeli strategic partnership with senior Israeli leaders. Among the Israeli political and military leaders the delegation met with were: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benjamin (Benny) Gantz, Israeli Air Force Commander in Major General Amir Eshel, Vice Admiral Ram Rothberg Commander of the Israeli Navy, Major General Yair Golan GOC Northern Command and other senior officers from the supreme command of the IDF.

Since 1982, JINSA has taken recently retired U.S. Generals and Admirals to Israel under its flagship program, the Generals and Admirals Program. The trip is designed to ensure that the delegation is well briefed on the security concerns of Israel, as well as the key role Israel plays as a friend and ally of the United States. To date, JINSA has taken over 400 recently retired Generals and Admirals to Israel through this program.

During the course of the program, the retired American general officers toured Israeli military installations and border posts, and met with the commanders of each of the IDF’s four regional commands. This year’s delegation also visited points of strategic interest such as an active Iron Dome missile defense battery, the “terror tunnels” dug from Gaza into Israel, and the Yam Tethys natural gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea.

JINSA CEO Dr. Michael Makovsky remarked: “U.S. Generals and Admirals are America’s most admired leaders, who remain very influential even after retirement. Facilitating a deepening of their understanding of the Middle East remains a top program for JINSA. We were fortunate to have yet again a group of top-flight senior military officers.”

The 2014 delegation included:

  • General James Conway, USMC – Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps

  • Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, USN – Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe

  • Vice Admiral John Bird, USN – Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet

  • Lieutenant General Michael Gould, USAF – Superintendent, United States Air Force Academy

  • Lieutenant General Loren Reno, USAF – Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Installations on the Air Staff

  • Lieutenant General William Rew, USAF – Vice Commander, Air Combat Command

  • Lieutenant General John Sattler, USMC – Director for Plans and Policy, J5, Joint Staff (2006-2008)

  • Lieutenant General Terry Wolff, USA – Director for Plans and Policy, J5, Joint Staff (2012-2014)

  • Major General Rodney O. Anderson, USA – Deputy Commander, XVIIIth Airborne Corps

  • Rear Admiral Garry Bonelli, USN – Deputy Commander, Navy Special Warfare Command

  • Rear Admiral Robert Branham, USCG – Commander, 7th USCG District

  • Rear Admiral Scott Sanders, USN – Deputy Director for Reserves, J7, Joint Staff

Command position provided for identification purposes only.