Under the provisions of Department of Defense 1348.33-M, the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America takes pleasure in awarding the Defense Superior Service Medal to Colonel Bernard J. Dunn, United States Army, for exceptionally superior service to the Department of Defense while assigned as the Defense Attach, United States Defense Attach Office, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Directorate for Operations, Defense Intelligence Agency, during June 1997 through June 2000. Colonel Dunn’s unmatched regional experience, superior linguistic skills, and personal charisma provided the United States Government with a foreign policy professional of rare ability and experience. Through a total commitment to the furtherance of American interests within this strategic region, Colonel Dunn mastered the complex dynamic of Syrian society and penetrated into the upper most reaches of this insular and secretive culture to provide American policymakers with the most accurate perspective of Syrian intentions and policies. His absolute incorruptibility and impeccable military bearing provided his Syrian counterparts with an epitome of the American military professional, while his innate appreciation of global and regional concerns enabled him to focus on the key issues of interest to both his Syrian hosts and the American Government. Colonel Dunn’s performance as Defense Attach to Syria has proven a paradigm for all current and future members of the Defense Attach System while forming a strong legacy for honest and clear relations between our two countries. Through his distinctive accomplishments, Colonel Dunn reflects great, credit upon himself, the United States Army, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense.