President Obama announced Thursday changes of his national security team, driven by the June 30th retirement of Defense Secretary and former Texas A&M University President Robert Gates.
One of the those appointments involves Ryan Crocker, Dean of the Bush School of Government at A&M. Obama named Crocker U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan.
Here is the response from A&M President R. Bowen Loftin that followed Obama’s announcement:
“We are extremely pleased that Dean Ryan Crocker has agreed to serve our country—to serve Americans—in yet another key role, this time as U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. He is an exceptional public servant, visionary leader, diplomat and ambassador, with vast experience in U.S. Foreign Service, most recently serving as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq. Speaking for all of us associated with Texas A&M, I can’t think of an individual more experienced and highly qualified for such an important role at this critical juncture in the history of our great nation. One of the many reasons he was selected to serve as our Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service was his clearly demonstrated lifelong commitment to selfless service, a core value that helps define Aggies worldwide and we certainly consider him a key member of the Aggie Family. During his brief tenure as Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, he has already made a profound impact on the Bush School — its students, faculty and staff. We wish Dean Crocker success in his important new role as Ambassador to Afghanistan and are confident that he will continue to serve our nation with great distinction and honor as he has done admirably throughout his career in public service.”