Eikenberry receives George F. Kennan Award

Karl Eikenberry, the 2012 Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Freeman Spogli Institute, has received the George F. Kennan Award for Distinguished Public Service from the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP).

The award honors Americans who served the country in an exemplary fashion and have made seminal contributions to defining, illuminating, and promoting the country’s national interest.

Eikenberry was the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from May 2009 until July 2011.  He served in the Army for 35 years, retiring in April 2009 as a lieutenant general. He was the commander of the American-led coalition forces in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007 and has also served as deputy chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels.

In a statement issued by the NCAFP, the organization praised Eikenberry for his accomplishments.

“We are particularly impressed by his widely respected and exemplary leadership in conceptualizing, designing, and articulating American military and foreign policy strategy and tactics involving and harmonizing both hard and soft power,” the statement said.

Other recipients of the Kennan Award include former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, CIA Director David Petraeus, and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.