(born 1937), US army officer and statesman; full name Colin Luther Powell. Decorated for heroism in Vietnam, he later held a series of command posts and became a White House assistant for national security affairs 1987–89. The first black American to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1989–93, he was commander in chief of the 1990–91 US military operations (Desert Shield and Desert Storm) against Iraq. He served as US secretary of state during President George W. Bush's first term (2001–05).