Effort honors the first US operation in the Global War on Terrorism
Today, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation announced its Jawbreaker Fellowship Program. The GWOT Memorial Foundation is the organization designated by Congress to plan, fund, and build the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The Foundation’s fellows are an important part of the organization’s lasting legacy. Even after the Memorial is built, the fellows will help raise awareness of the Global War on Terrorism, its heroes, and its lasting impact on our nation’s history.
Named after the CIA’s Operation Jawbreaker, the first deployment of Americans in the Global War on Terrorism after 9/11, the Jawbreaker Fellowship name honors the CIA team’s historic role in the Global War on Terrorism and all non-uniformed personnel’s contributions in the conflict. It also conveys a unity between military and non-military personnel around the Foundation’s mission.
“By naming our fellowship program in honor of the CIA-led Operation Jawbreaker, we pay tribute to the very first Americans deployed following the 9/11 attacks, thereby highlighting the past and continued contributions made by non-uniformed personnel in the Global War on Terrorism. Just as military and non-military participants have cooperated in fighting terrorism globally, so will our diverse fellows be united around the shared goal of building the most inclusive war Memorial in history.”
-GWOT Memorial Foundation President Michael “Rod” Rodríguez
The Foundation’s fellows serve one-year terms and currently include a Gold Star Fellow, Krista Simpson Anderson, and the newly announced Gold Star Child Fellow, Megan Taylor. Taylor is a student double majoring in Communications and Classical & Near Eastern Studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and is the daughter of Utah Army National Guard Major Brent Taylor. Major Taylor, who served four combat deployments, was killed in action outside of Kabul, Afghanistan in November of 2018 while on a leave of absence from his service as the mayor of North Ogden City, Utah.
“I am grateful and humbled by the honor of serving as the Foundation’s first Gold Star Child Fellow,” said Megan Taylor. “This new role gives me an opportunity to share the experiences of America’s Gold Star children. I’m eager to contribute to the Memorial’s planning and reach new supporters with the Foundation’s message.”
“As the Foundation’s first Gold Star Fellow, I can attest to how our Jawbreaker Fellowship roles serve as force multipliers in support of the mission,” said GWOT Memorial Foundation Chief of Staff and former Gold Star Fellow Jennifer Ballou. “I am confident that our fellows will continue to build a community around the Foundation that will help the Memorial come to life.”
For more information, visit www.gwotmemorialfoundation.org/fellows
