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USAID's Rahmaan Awarded Major Joint Chiefs of Staff Civilian Award

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- USAID's Carl Abdou Rahmaan today received the second highest civilian service award given by the Office of The Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. Rahmaan currently serves as senior country affairs officer for the Afghan-Pakistan Task Force.

Rahmaan received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his work as the first senior development advisor to the commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in 2008 and 2009. General William E "Kip" Ward, Commander of U.S. Africa Command who served as Rahmaan's supervisor, presented the award to Rahmaan at USAID headquarters on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

In his remarks at the award ceremony, General Ward praised Rahmaan's contributions and said the first senior development advisor to the Command had a lasting impression.

"Carl 'USAID-ized' the Africa Command to the highest degree possible," General Ward said of Rahmaan in presenting the award. "His teaching, coaching and mentoring have settled in to this day and (his mark) remains in place."

Prior to joining AFRICOM in 2007, Rahmaan, a member of the career foreign service, was the deputy mission director for USAID in Afghanistan. He has also served as director of the USAID Office of Regional and Country Support, Bureau of Global Health, where he coordinated and supported health and family planning programs at 71 USAID field missions.

Other assignments at USAID included regional representative in south central Iraq, as well as posts in Haiti, Egypt, Niger, Morocco, Lebanon and Nepal. Prior to joining USAID, Rahmaan worked from January 1980 - July 1984 as a hospital management officer in the Veterans Administration.

With 28 years at USAID, he was named to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Force last June.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff Meritorious Civilian Service Award is the second highest award and consists of a medal, lapel button, and citation certificate, signed by Admiral Michael Mullen. Awardees are recognized for an established a pattern of excellence in supervisory or nonsupervisory duties, in setting a record of achievement, and inspiring others to improve the quantity and quality of their work.

For more information about USAID, please visit www.usaid.gov.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

Public Information: 202-712-4810

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development