Former US ambassador to Afghanistan speaks to Montgomery Catholic students

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School students and faculty were visited by a former United States ambassador in April.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann spoke to some of the high school students about how he came to work in foreign services and shared some of his personal experiences as ambassador.

Neumann answered questions from students about the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan and what it meant to him to serve in such an important position for the country.

“Ambassador Neumann discussed several fascinating topics, such as the conflict and challenges in Afghanistan and working as a Foreign Service Officer,” MCPS junior Peter Riello said. “I enjoyed the backstory he gave on his own life and I learned about the balance between fighting terrorism and nation-building when dealing with foreign countries.”

Neumann served as ambassador to Afghanistan from July 2005 to April 2007. Neumann also served as ambassador to Algeria and Bahrain.

He’s received several awards for his service both as a diplomat and as an Army infantry officer in the Vietnam War. He’s currently the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

His father, Robert G. Neumann, also served as a U.S. ambassador to three countries, including Afghanistan.

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!