Crocker to receive award at West Point

Former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker will receive a special award for his service to the country during a ceremony today at West Point.

Crocker, a Spokane native, is a career diplomat who served as ambassador to six countries over 14 years. President George W. Bush named him a Career Diplomat, the highest rank in the Foreign Service, in 2004.

Crocker currently serves as diplomat in residence at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

The West Point graduates will present Crocker with the Thayer Award, an annual honor given to the American citizen who embodies the military academy’s motto of “duty, honor, country.” Previous recipients include former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and George W. Bush, Colin Powell, Neil Armstrong and Walter Cronkite.