'Willingness to take risks': Former Special Forces Delta commander inducted into regiment

FORT BRAGG — A Special Forces leader whose 31-year Army career included the rescue of an American hostage and commanding Delta Forces in combat was honored during a ceremony Tuesday at Fort Bragg.

Retired Maj. Gen. Gary Harrell commissioned into the Army in December 1973, first serving under the 82nd Airborne Division, and retired as deputy commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command in July 2008.

More than 100 colleagues, soldiers, friends and family and supporters joined Harrell, as he was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment during a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

The regiment serves as a link between Special Forces soldiers currently serving and those who have separated or retired and serve as role models for unit morale, cohesion and esprit de corps.

Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson, commander of the Special Warfare Center and School, said Harrell is an icon of the regiment.

“The visionary leadership, the willingness to take risks, and the ultimate success of the mission in northern Iraq, it’s very representative of this man’s career and his accomplishments,” Roberson said.

Army career

Harrell’s first Army assignment was with the 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, with which he’d later deploy to Grenada in the 1980s during Operation Urgent Fury.

He completed the Special Forces Qualifications Course in January 1977 and was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta at Fort Bragg as a troop commander.

While serving with the detachment, Harrell participated in Operation Just Cause during the U.S. invasion of Panama and was the only officer to enter the Modelo Prison with his soldiers to rescue American hostage Kurt Muse, who was held captive by Gen. Manual Noriega’s forces.

Harrell deployed with the Joint Special Operations Command as an Army special operations action officer during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

While commanding the Squadron C, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta in April 1992, he led forces in operations against drug lord Pablo Escobar.

His next combat deployment was as a ground force commander in Somalia during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, which is depicted in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.”

In that incident, two MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down Oct. 3, 1993, by armed militants, which led to the deaths of 18 American soldiers attempting to recover the downed personnel.  

Mark Stephens, executive director of the nonprofit Task Force Dagger that assists wounded or ill Special Forces soldiers and their families, said at Tuesday's ceremony that he first served under Harrell in Somalia.

Stephens said Harrell stood out as a commander who could make "hard calls in very unique tough and situations."

Harrell was wounded by enemy mortar fire and evacuated to the U.S. on Oct. 9, 1993.

Harrell became deputy commander of Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta in June 1995 and commander of the detachment from July 1998 to July 2000.

In the early 2000s, Harrell served as director of the Joint Security Directorate, becoming responsible for the U.S. Central Command’s security operations following the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen.

He deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, as commander of Task Force Bowie in November 2011 and served as assistant division commander for the 10th Mountain Division during Operation Anaconda.

Trusted leader

In July 2002, Harrell assumed command of the Special Operations Command and led more than 20,000 troops responsible for combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Maj. Gen. Roberson said he served on a team with the 10th Special Forces Group during that time.

Based on Harrell’s intents and guidance, Roberson said, his team was the first to be inserted in Iraq before other American forces and fought alongside Iraqi Kurds against Saddam Hussein’s army and terrorist groups.

“There are individuals even within my own group, 10th Group, that told me this mission will never happen — too bold, too dangerous, too risky, nobody would ever approve this,” Roberson said. “Well, Maj. Gen. Harrell not only approved it, he had to convince others that it was a great idea.”

Roberson said there were risks to the mission and force, and diplomatic risks, but Harrell made a “gutsy” ​​​call,” that “set the tone” for special operations forces deployed to Iraq.

“There remains to this day a strong relationship between us and the Iraqi Kurds,” he said.

Roberson said that relationship was relied upon “countless times,” and helped American forces recently defeat the Islamic State of Syria.

Stephens described Harrell as a loyal commander with integrity who soldiers could trust.

“He was willing to look at the whole picture and make the hard calls,” he said. “His loyalty to his men is beyond reproach, and I think because of that he receives loyalty, unlike any other leader I’ve ever seen.”

In April 2005, Harrell was assigned as deputy chief of staff for operations and commander of the deployable Joint Task Force, NATO Response Force in Brunssum, Netherlands.

The task force was responsible for NATO forces taking operational control in Afghanistan and Harrell led the task force on its first operational deployment to the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa.

Harrell’s awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with valor device and two oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters among other awards and certifications.

Continued service

After his retirement, Harrell became an executive board member for the Task Force Dagger Foundation, of which Stephens is the director.

Stephens said Harrell’s continued to serve the Special Forces community by helping raise funds to support wounded or ill special operations service members and their families.

Following Tuesday’s ceremony, Harrell said “the people” is what has stood out to him about the special operation forces community and that is just as important today as it was during its inception.

“We protect the world,” Harrell said. “There’s a lot of stuff that needs to be done.”

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Special Forces inducts Delta Force icon at Fort Bragg