Multi-campus University of North Carolina and U.S. Army Special Operations Command to Announce Collaborative Partnership at 10 a.m. on November 12

Joni Worthington, UNC General Administration
November 11, 2009

Joined by military, state, and University officials, University of North Carolina President Erskine Bowles and United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Commanding General, Lieutenant General John F. Mulholland, Jr., will come together on Thursday, November 12, to announce a collaborative partnership that allows the military and academic communities to mutually benefit through shared capabilities, expertise, and interest in national security. President Bowles and Lt. General Mulholland will sign a Memorandum of Agreement during a special ceremony to be held in conjunction with the November meetings of the UNC Board of Governors. The public event will take place at 10 a.m. in the main Board Room of the C.D. Spangler Center, located at 910 Raleigh Road in Chapel Hill.

Headquartered at Ft. Bragg near Fayetteville, Army Special Operations encompasses 27,000 people throughout the United States. Historically charged with the full range of special operations from Unconventional Warfare to Civil-Military Operations, USASOC plays an increasingly important role in the modern military structure in this era of persistent conflict. While Special Operations provides excellent in-house education and training, USASOC is seeking to improve its quality and capacity by partnering with UNC institutions. UNC’s reputation for delivering high-quality education at great value combined with its close geographical proximity to USASOC headquarters makes the partnership attractive. As envisioned, the partnership will also provide engaged research opportunities for UNC scholars in a variety of disciplines.

UNC Contact: Joni Worthington, Vice President for Communications,
(919)962-4629 or worthj@northcarolina.edu

USASOC Contact: Walter Sokalski Jr., Deputy Public Affairs Officer,
(910) 432-6005 or (910)494-6085 (cell) or sokalskw@soc.mil