NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Danielle Champagne (danielle.champagne@us.army.mil)
ROTC Program
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(985) 991-7727
1/14/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES -Major Lisa Carter, an ambassador of the Pentagon’s “Why We Serve” speakers program, will address members of the Northwestern State University ROTC program beginning at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25.
Major Carter returned from a deployment to Iraq in December. There she served as the product manager for the Robotics Unmanned Sensor liaison officer for five separate and high priority Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) programs that provide a reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting capability in support of the ground forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Carter is a native of Atlanta, Ga., where she graduated from Fulton High School in 1992. After graduation, Carter went to Georgia State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in social work. She was commission as Quartermaster Officer in the United States Army in June 1996 and was selected to serve as a Gold Bar Recruiter for Georgia State University.
The U.S. Defense Department launched the “Why We Serve” program in 2006 in an effort to help the American people understand why U.S. service members choose to serve their country and what that experience entails. This program includes the premier speakers outreach program with service men and women from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps traveling around the country to engage the American public and share their experiences. They share their motivations for serving with groups ranging from Chambers of Commerce to Rotary Clubs, to grassroots organizations, conferences, schools and media outlets.
This program helps connect returning military members with the general public and give them an opportunity to tell their personal stories, according to Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
“The goal is that they will go out on the road to different venues nationwide to tell their story,” she said. “Why did they choose to serve the military? What did they do in Iraq or Afghanistan? And why are they are serving our country?”
The program has no political agenda, she emphasized, and is not designed to sway public opinion about the war on terror, but rather to give people insight into their men and women in uniform.
Community organizations, business associations, academic institutions, veterans groups, and other non-profit or non-partisan organizations may invite a speaker from Why We Serve program by submitting a request via www.whyweserve.mil. Anyone interested can visit this website to learn more about the program, our current speakers, and their stories. Confirmed speakers are provided at no cost to the host organization, regardless of location, throughout the country.
The public and local media are invited to attend the NSU address. For more information, contact CDT Danielle Champagne at (985) 991-7727. For general questions on the Why We Serve program or to request a speaker, contact Ms. Jennifer Giglio at (703) 697-5976 or via email at Jennifer.Giglio@osd.mil.
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