<Tr> <Th> Commands </Th> <Td> V Corps Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Forces Command </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Battles / wars </Th> <Td> Vietnam War Invasion of Panama Persian Gulf War </Td> </Tr> <P> Colin Luther Powell (/ ˈkoʊlɪn /; born April 5, 1937) is an American statesman and a retired four - star general in the United States Army . Powell was born in Harlem as the son of Jamaican immigrants . During his military career, Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987--1989), as Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command (1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989--1993), holding the latter position during the Persian Gulf War . Powell was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under U.S. President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005, the first African American to serve in that position . </P> <P> Powell was born in New York City in 1937 and was raised in the South Bronx . His parents, Luther and Maud Powell, immigrated to the United States from Jamaica . Powell was educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a bachelor's degree in geology . He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958 . His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University . </P>

First black chairman of joint chiefs of staff