Mansfield Alumni Fellow Meets with MFP No. 24 in Tokyo

September 26, 2019

On September 24, Alumni Fellow Michael Luke Deckard (MFP 22) visited the Mansfield Foundation at the International House of Japan in Tokyo to meet with current Mansfield Fellows. Lieutenant Colonel Deckard, now the Japan Country Director at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, explained his current duties in the context of the United States Indo-Pacific Strategy and how his Fellowship experiences inform his work.

Lt Col Deckard’s talk was followed by a Q&A session, which included discussion of his three placements in the offices of Diet members and his enjoyment of working with policymakers for an important American ally. He also advised Fellows on how he has maintained contact with co-workers from his placements, including the use of nengajo greeting cards during each new year.