Retired Brig. Gen. Arnold Gordon-Bray’s appreciation for traditionally Black faculties began when his mom graduated from Benedict Faculty throughout the Sixties in South Carolina.
Many years later, the previous division chief of the Joint Particular Operations Command helps foster relationships between the army neighborhood and Fayetteville State College, North Carolina’s second-oldest college and the oldest HBCU within the College of North Carolina system.
Gordon-Bray was named as FSU’s senior advisor of army affairs and the director of its Heart for Protection and Homeland Safety this week.
In his position as senior advisor to FSU’s affiliate vice chancellor for army affairs, FSU Chancellor Darrell Allison mentioned Gordon-Bray will “improve and promote FSU’s assist of the military-connected neighborhood,” a information launch from the college mentioned.
The information launch mentioned he’ll spearhead enrollment progress efforts at FSU’s Heart for Protection and Homeland Safety and promote participation of the military-connected neighborhood in certification programs supplied by the faculty’s Heart for Enterprise Useful resource Planning and Superior Analytics.
Allison mentioned Gordon-Bray “has the intensive expertise and data which are key to supporting and rising our scholar military-connected applications.”
“Actually, he understands the nuances of the position and is exceptionally positioned and ready to steer,” Allison mentioned within the launch.
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After greater than 30 years of service within the Army, Gordon-Bray’s final task was with the U.S. Africa Command.
He additionally served as commander of the 2nd Brigade Fight Workforce, 82nd Airborne Division, and helped spearhead army operations in Iraq with a brigade fight staff consisting of greater than 4,500 service members.
He supported Operation Iraqi Freedom throughout the surge of 2007 as principal advisor to the Iraqi floor forces commander and aided in reworking 35,000 Iraqis right into a pressure of 300,000 with six divisions able to functioning independently.
Gordon-Bray mentioned Thursday that being a part of FSU is a end result of influences from his mom, his father-in-law’s legacy and his former boss’ imaginative and prescient.
He mentioned his mom, Martha Lee McNeil Gordon Bray, all the time embraced the beliefs of what HBCUs stand for, “to raise individuals of shade” and to keep up a tradition of caring.
“I wish to be a part of that have,” Gordon-Bray mentioned.
As a paratrooper, Gordon-Bray mentioned, he revered the contributions of Black service members who got here earlier than him together with his late father-in-law retired 1st Sgt. Gordon J. Burke Sr. who served within the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion referred to as the Triple Nickles. The group was the Army’s first all-Black airborne unit and the primary all-Black unit built-in into the common Army,
“These tales and the tales of my uncles and serving with the 82nd have all the time saved me related to Fayetteville,” Gordon-Bray mentioned.
The third purpose why he mentioned he selected to be a part of FSU was as a result of his former boss’, retired Gen. James Lindsay, had a imaginative and prescient to “marry Fayetteville and Fort Bragg.”
“If I’m in a position to have any impact to assist the imaginative and prescient and fulfill the goals of somebody attending this nice HBCU, then wow,” Gordon-Bray mentioned.
Based on FSU, the appointment is a part of the college’s “dedication to higher serving the wants of the military-connected neighborhood,” with Allison’s Feb. 3 announcement that FSU will present free tuition to all military-connected college students this fall for instance.
Gordon-Bray mentioned he’s honored to make use of his data and connections at Fort Bragg to be a part of FSU’s imaginative and prescient and dedication to the army neighborhood.
He mentioned FSU has had a task within the lives of others within the army neighborhood like retired Command Sgt. Maj. Michele Jones, an alumna of Fayetteville State College. She grew to become the primary Black lady to be the senior enlisted advisor for the Army Reserves in October 2002 and was later appointed by the Obama administration as a member of the Senior Government Service from July 2009 to December 2012.
Charlene Austin, the spouse of Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin can also be an FSU alumna.
Gordon-Bray mentioned Charlene Austin is pleased with her FSU connection and was the second individual to name to congratulate him on his newest appointment.
The primary to supply congratulations was retired Maj. Gen. Al Aycock,former Fort Bragg garrison commander, deputy chief of workers for the U.S. Army Particular Operations Command and commander of the U.S. Particular Operations Command-Korea. Aycock earned his grasp’s from FSU.
Gordon-Bray mentioned he appears ahead to seeing future FSU grads make historical past and hopes that active-duty army and dependents will make the most of the varsity providing free tuition beginning within the fall.
“The schooling that you just’re receiving in a classroom with 4 partitions is simply the start of your progress,” he mentioned.
Development throughout school, he mentioned, is about discovering a steadiness with time administration and rising spiritually, bodily and emotionally.
Gordon-Bray mentioned FSU’s announcement that it’ll pay tuition for army college students and their households permits them to have alternatives to study with others.
Although Gordon-Bray is a previous deputy commander of Army Cadet Command, he mentioned his newest position gained’t be overseeing ROTC cadets, however that doesn’t imply that he isn’t keen to supply recommendation to cadets or to assist join them to generals and management at Fort Bragg.
“Different colleges and different army colleges have these sorts of relationships, and I need FSU to grasp that it may possibly have that sort of relationship, too,” he mentioned.
Gordon-Bray mentioned he hopes to domesticate relationships between former Fort Bragg army leaders and its present leaders with FSU and its military-connected college students and stay related “with those that will lead our nation’s armies tomorrow.”
Gordon-Bray mentioned Science, Know-how, Engineering and Math studying is essential as a result of it’s about planning for jobs that don’t exist but.
He used cyber literacy for instance, saying it must be considered being extra than simply computer systems; that it’s in every little thing in our lives.
He mentioned all college students, whether or not military-connected or enterprise majors, ought to acknowledge the significance of the cyber realm.
“Half of what I hope to instill in college students at Fayetteville State College is to see not solely the eminent STEM jobs but additionally the roles STEM will create,” Gordon-Bray mentioned.
He mentioned that’s the reason he’s glad to be a part of FSU’s Heart for Nationwide Protection and Homeland Safety to “elevate and produce ahead” that preparation.
He views his position as augmenting the imaginative and prescient of schooling for military-connected college students.
“College students who come by means of this college are questioning ‘What’s subsequent and when?’” Gordon-Bray mentioned. “My aim is to assist them be capable to embrace the unimaginable and assist them actually change into all that they are often and all that they wish to be.”
As the middle’s director, Gordon-Bray will help in rising enrollment of military-connected college students in FSU’s educational diploma applications and function a key enterprise growth lead, connecting Division of Protection stakeholders with FSU subject material consultants, FSU mentioned.
Based on the discharge, Gordon-Bray brings expertise that features having a grasp’s in nationwide safety and strategic research from the Naval Battle Faculty in Rhode Island and having a grasp’s in worldwide strategic research from the Air Battle Faculty, in Alabama.
He has additionally been a part of nationwide, state and neighborhood boards together with the North Carolina Division of Army and Veterans Affairs and Kiwanis Worldwide Carolina District the place he serves as a lieutenant governor.
His army awards and honors embody the Army Protection Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Advantage (with Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Bronze Star.
Workers author Rachael Riley could be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
