WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The United States-Japan Foundation congratulates one of our fellows, US Air Force Lt. Gen Leonard Kosinski, on being awarded the Japanese government’s prestigious “Order of the Rising Sun.”
Kosinski — a 2005/2008 delegate in the foundation’s US-Japan Leadership Program (USLP) — was cited for “his contributions toward promoting understanding of Japan in the United States and strengthening the relationship between Japan and the United States on national defense.”
Kosinski, 51, is currently director for logistics at the Pentagon’s Joint Staff and a three-star Air Force general. He has spent much of life between the two countries, attending middle school and high school in Iwakuni, where his father, a Marine Corps aviator, was based. He returned to Japan as an Olmsted Scholar to study at Hitotsubashi University and, throughout his military career, has worked closely with Japanese counterparts. Before his current Pentagon assignment, Kosinski served for two years as deputy commander of the U.S. 5th Air Force in Yokota.
“Working closely with the Japan Air Self Defense Force, he enhanced the capabilities and performance of its personnel,” Ambassador Tamaki Tsukada, the deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Japan, said in presenting the award to Kosinski at the August 15 decoration ceremony.
In expressing gratitude for the award, Kosinski called the USJLP network “the most impactful influence” for him on his bilateral work. “There is no single organization with such a talented, accomplished, and amazing group of professionals with a deep understanding of the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship,” Kosinski added. “Throughout my career, and in particular in my last assignment in Japan, USJLP friends and connections have continued to support, encourage, enable, and greatly advance my work.”
Foundation President Jacob M. Schlesinger called the award “a richly deserved recognition of Leo’s accomplishments — and much more than that. It’s an example of the power of our broad, deep network, and the potential for the USJLP community.” Schlesinger added: “I look forward to working closely with Leo and other fellows as we strive to boost the program’s impact on the world around us.”
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SOURCE United States-Japan Foundation
