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U.S. Secretary
of Defense
Donald H.
Rumsfield
appointed on
March 21, 2002
Al Zapanta as
Chairman of the
Reserve Forces
Policy Board
(RFPB)
The Reserve
Forces Policy
Board was
established by
Congressional
statute in 1952,
acts as the
principal,
independent
policy advisor
to the Secretary
of Defense on
all matters
involving the
Reserve
components of
the United
States Armed
Forces,
including the
Army National
Guard, Army
Reserve, Naval
Reserve, Marine
Corps Reserve,
Air National
Guard, Air force
Reserve, and
Coast Guard
Reserve. The
twenty-four
member Board is
composed of
Assistance
Secretaries of
the three
military
departments for
Reserve Affairs;
Active , Guard
and Reserve flag
and general
officers
representing the
Joint Staff,
each of the
Services, and
their Guard and
Reserve
components.
Mr. Zapanta is
the president
and CEO of the
United
States-Mexico
Chamber of
Commerce based
in Washington,
D.C. The United
States-Mexico
Chamber of
Commerce is a
non-profit,
bi-national
corporation that
promotes trade
and investment
between the U,S.
and Mexico and
maintains 14
regional offices
in the U.S. and
six in Mexico.
He is also
Chairman of the
Board of the
U.S. - Mexico
Cultural and
Educational
Foundation.
Mr. Zapanta has
worked in
business,
government, and
politics for
over thirty-six
years.
In the private
sector, he
worked as an
industrial
engineer for
Bethlehem Steel,
and as Director
of Governmental
Affairs for ARCO
until his
retirement in
1993.
His Governmental
and political
experience
includes
appointments to
various
government
commissions and
advisory
committees by
Presidents
Richard Nixon,
Gerald Ford,
Ronald Reagan,
and both
Presidents Bush.
Mr. Zapanta
served President
Richard Nixon as
a White House
Fellow in
1973-74. He was
appointed by
President Gerald
Ford to serve as
Assistance
Secretary of
Administration
and Management,
U.S. Department
of Interior
1976-77.
President Ronald
Reagan appointed
Al to the U.S.
State Department
Advisory
Committee on
International
Trade Technology
and Development,
and by President
George W. Bush
as a private
sector delegate
to the U.S. -
Mexico
Partnership for
Prosperity.
Mr. Zapanta
earned a
Bachelors of
Arts in 1966, a
Master of Public
Administration
in 1973, and
completed his
Doctoral studies
in International
Political
Economy from the
University of
Southern
California. He
also graduated
from the Harvard
Graduate School
of Business and
the
Inter-American
Defense College,
National War
College.
Mr. Zapanta
began his
military career
enlisting in the
U.S. Army in
1964 reaching
the rank of
Sergeant in the
12th Special
Forces Group.
Commissioned
through the
California Army
National Guard
Office Candidate
School program
in 1966 as an
infantry
officer, Mr.
Zapanta's
military service
includes duty as
a Special Forces
Officer
1966-'72,
Platoon Leader
and Company
Commander, 75th
Infantry Ranger
(Airborne), 9th
Infantry
Division, with
duty in the
Republic of
Vietnam 1969.
From 1972-'78,
Mr. Zapanta
served in the
63rd and 97th
ARCOM, USAR. In
1978-'87, he
served in the
40th Infantry
Division (M),
California Army
National Guard
as the Battalion
Commander,
3/160th Infantry
Batallion, 40th
Infantry
Division.
Returning to the
USAR (1987-'94)
as an Individual
Mobilization
Augmentee in
OASD/RA and
SO-LIC in the
Pentagon, Mr.
Zapanta also
served as a
Commander of the
U.S.
Peacekeeping
Observer
Element, United
Nations Mission
for the
Referendum in
the Western
Sahara. He
served in the
Washington D.C.
National Guard
as Special
Assistant to the
Chief of the
National Guard
(1994-'96). Mr.
Zapanta also was
appointed by the
Governor of the
Commonwealth of
Virginia to the
rank of Major
General in the
Virginia state
militia.
Mr. Zapanta's
combat actions
resulted in the
award of the
Silver Star,
five Bronze Star
for the valor,
the Purple Heart
and the thirty
other awards
during the
Vietnam War. He
was also awarded
the Joint
Service
Commendation
Medal for Desert
Storm, Restore
Hope in Somalia,
and Restore
Democracy in
Haiti |
