From Mobile to Montgomery: The Department of State’s Impact on Alabama
The State Department benefits the American people by advancing U.S. national security, promoting our economic interests, providing services, and reaffirming our country’s exceptional role in the world. Find out more about how the State Department directly impacts Alabama.
From military training, to foreign investment, to educational exchanges, the Department of State has a far-reaching impact on Alabama with tangible benefits. For example, did you know that the State Department’s International Military Education and Training (IMET) program works with Fort Rucker and the Air War College, Air Command & Staff College, and Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama? The IMET program educates and trains international military students, thereby strengthening our allies’ fighting forces and the international coalitions that are critical to U.S. national security goals. The program continues to be a key component of U.S. security assistance, ultimately promoting regional stability and defense capabilities. At the same time, it provides foreign students exposure to the culture and history of the United States and the State of Alabama while also supporting the local economy.
While the IMET program builds our military alliances, the Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s flagship exchange program focused on building mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. This important goal has likewise been accomplished between the people of Alabama and the people of Argentina through the Friends of Fulbright Undergraduate Exchange Program. This Public- Private Partnership, launched in 2015 by U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires and the binational U.S.-Argentina Fulbright Commission, sent 20 Argentine undergraduate students to study at the University of Alabama in the 2017–2018 academic year. Not only did the Argentine students expand their book knowledge during the program, but upon return to Argentina could undoubtedly explain to their friends University of Alabama traditions, American student life, and the meaning of the phrase, “Roll Tide!”
Finally, aside from the people-to-people exchange programs that build our country’s alliances, significant financial investments boost Alabama’s and our nation’s economy. In May 2017, Japan’s Topre America Corporation announced it would invest $21 million to expand production at its Cullman County auto components manufacturing plant, located in the heart of north Alabama. That investment came with the creation of more than 50 jobs, including a new production line.
The State Department directly impacts Alabama, and from Mobile to Montgomery and Decatur to Dothan, Alabama directly impacts the world.
Find out more about the Department of State’s impact in American communities at Department of State by State.
Editor’s Note: This entry originally appeared on DipNote.
