The Washington Group presents award to Nicholas Krawciw (11/25/01)

The Washington Group presents award to Nicholas Krawciw

WASHINGTON - Nicholas Krawciw, major general, U.S. Army (retired), honored at the 2001 Leadership Conference with The Washington Group Award for his efforts in promoting closer U.S.-Ukraine military ties. Gen. Krawciw is the president of The Dupuy Institute, a military history research center in McLean, Va. He is also a consultant on Ukraine in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, International Security Policy (OASD-ISP).

Between August 1997 and August 2001, he was the senior military representative to Ukraine for the secretary of defense before retiring from the U.S. Army in 1990, after 31 years in command and staff positions at all levels, from platoon to a forward-deployed "heavy" division in Germany - the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) in 1987-1989.

As a colonel, he commanded the largest combat brigade in the U.S. Army, Europe, the 1st Brigade of the 3d Armored Division (1979-1981). His first command as a field grade officer was in 1974-1975 when he served as the commander of the 1st Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry, along the boundary with the Warsaw Pact.

Gen. Krawciw served two combat tours in Vietnam (1962-1963 and 1968-1969). During his first combat tour he was seriously wounded in action. Between his Vietnam tours, he was a tactical officer and leadership instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. From 1972 to 1974, including the period of the Yom Kippur War and its aftermath, he was the senior U.S. observer and chief operations officer with the United Nations. Truce Supervision Organization in and around Israel.

His senior staff positions included an assignment as director for concepts and doctrine at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (1977-1979), as the military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense (1982-1984) and as the executive officer to the Supreme Allied Commander at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, (SHAPE) in NATO (1985-1986). Just prior to his retirement in 1990, General Krawciw was the director for NATO Policy in OASD-ISP.

His academic background includes a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1959, a master of science degree in international affairs from George Washington University, completed while attending the School of Naval Command and Staff at the Naval War College in 1970, a fellowship at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University (during his Army War College year, 1976-1977), and completion of America's highest level diplomatic school, the Senior Seminar, Department of State, 1981-1982.

His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, three awards of the Silver Star, a Distinguished Flying Cross, two Legion of Merit awards, four Bronze Stars (two for valor), and a Purple Heart.

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An interview with Gen. Krawciw appeared in the May-June issue of Assembly, published by the Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

He was asked by Tom Carbart: "Did you have any ideas about the promise America held for you personally?"

Gen. Krawciw responded:

"Yes, I did. When I was a kid in the displaced persons camp in Germany, in 1946-1948, one of the corporals in the American Constabulary set up a boy scout troop for us. We had no boy scout uniforms, but he got us tickets to travel all over Germany. And when we were on these trips, he used to tell us all about the great American leaders, and where they had gone to school - West Point.

"So I decided that, once I was in Philadelphia, I would try to go to West Point. There was a small military school near Trenton, the Bordentown Military Institute, so one day in the fall of 1951 I got on the bus and rode out there for a quarter. When I got there, I asked to speak to Dr. Harold Morrison Smith, the headmaster.

"I told him that I wanted to go to West Point and needed to get ready by going to his military school. He was intrigued that I had come by myself, and then he asked me how I would pay for the tuition and uniforms and so forth. I told him my parents were war refugees who were working hard and not making much money, but that if he would let me in on credit, I promised I would repay him after.

"I graduated from West Point. He thought that was great. I graduated as the salutatorian from Bordentown, won an appointment to West Point and graduated in 1959. After graduation, most of my classmates were paying for their cars, but I was paying for my high school education! Let me repeat what I often hear and know to be true - Only in America."

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