Un-Natural Born Leader

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – As a U.S. Army public affairs officer I've had the pleasure of working with a wide array of people all over the world, and as a result I have gained a great deal of respect for those I would have had little or no reason to have given a thought to otherwise. Recently while on a deployment to Kuwait, the U.S. State Department in Kuwait asked us for some assistance with a project to recognize the actions of some Kuwaiti citizens during Operation Desert Storm.  Over the course of 27 years, the U.S. Army and the sovereign nation of Kuwait have developed a partnership, born out of conflict, and sealed through mutual benefit.             This partnership originated in August 1990, when Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered an unexpected invasion of Kuwait. In response to the invasion, United States Army Central Command was charged with providing command, cont...

Darrell Melrose currently serves as Executive Officer of the 318th Press Camp Headquarters (PCH) in Forest Park, Illinois. The 318th PCH is a command in the U.S. Army Reserve, with more than 100 Public Affairs Soldiers, in six units spread over five states.    Prior to this assignment, Melrose served as the Commander of the 350 th Public Affairs Detachment, leading the unit on a military deployment as U.S. Army Central Public Affairs Detachment, Forward, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Darrell was commissioned a Second Lieutenant after graduating from National Guard Accelerated Officer Candidate School, Alabama Military Academy, Fort McClellan, Alabama in March 2007. He subsequently graduated from U.S. Army Engineer Officer Basic Course. Darrell began his military career enlisting in the active-duty U.S. Air Force in 1989. Darrell's assignments include the 377 th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) Ramstein AB, Germany; 1989-1991, serving in support of Operations Desert Shield...