During a distinguished career he commanded units at every level, serving in the combat zones of Grenada, Lebanon, Kurdistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Units under his command have included the 1st Infantry Division, a brigade in the 82nd Airborne Division, and two Ranger companies. Abizaid worked on the Joint Staff three times, the last as Director.He studied at the University of Jordan in Amman, holds a master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University, and is widely considered to be an expert in the field of Middle Eastern affairs. As such, Abizaid was one of the first to recognize the protracted nature of the ongoing conflict against religious-inspired extremists, which he has termed “The Long War.”
The 2008 Nimitz Lectureship Speaker
General John Abizaid
March 11th 2008
"Strategic Challenges in the Middle East"
7pm Tuesday March 11th
Berkeley Art Museum's Grand Theater
2626 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94720
