From Refugee to Officer

In 1975, at the age of two years old, Captain France Hoang and his family fled the violence surrounding their home in Vietnam. Years later, he decided to serve his adopted country by attending West Point—against the wishes of his parents—but that decision has led to two impactful commissions as a Special Forces officer, a hugely successful law career and now a life as an entrepreneur and practitioner of Artificial Intelligence in the realm of education. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with CPT Hoang to discuss lessons learned in the White House, how his life came full circle with his work saving Afghan refugees, and what’s harder to pass: Ranger School, or the bar exam? Guest: Captain France Hoang, U.S. Army Veteran and BoodleBox Co-Founder and CEO Film Credit: American Refugee, directed by Rebecca Murga (2018), . Clips used in the episode are courtesy of the film's writer, Jack Kennedy. Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast! AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at podcast@ausa.org. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

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From Refugee to Officer is an episode from AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast by Assn. of the United States Army.

This episode is 37:40 long.

This episode was published on Aug 13, 2025.

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