Eldon Bargewell
Encyclopedia
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell was a general in the United States Army
and commander of Delta Force
.
Bargewell was born in Hoquiam, Washington
and graduated from Hoquiam High School in 1965.
During the Vietnam War
Bargewell completed Special Forces training and was accepted into MACV-SOG where he served at the "Command And Control North" launch site at Da Nang and served as team leader for Reconnaissance Team "Viper" (all CCN teams were named for states or snakes). While serving with CCN, Bargewell earned the Distinguished Service Cross
for his actions in combat.
He is currently the last recipient of a DSC awarded for actions in Vietnam remaining on active duty. He then received his officer's commission in 1973.
Bargewell also served as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment
,
a former commander of Delta Force at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
,
commander of US Special Operations Command
Europe
,
assistant chief of staff for SFOR
military operations in Sarajevo
,
and the director of the center operations, plans, and policies of US Special Operations Command.
While in Delta Force Bargewell participated in Operation Acid Gambit
in Panama.
While serving as the Operations Officer for Multinational Force Iraq Bargewell pursued an outside administrative investigation as to how knowledge of the Haditha incident in Iraq
passed up the Marine
chain of command and whether or not any commanders lied in their reports. The informal investigation, pursuant to Army regulation AR 15-6, began on March 19, 2006 and was expected to examine how servicemembers and their commanders were trained in the rules of engagement.
The completed report was sent to Army Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli
, the second-ranked US commander in Iraq, on the morning of June 15, 2006. This was separate from a criminal investigation being conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service
.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and commander of Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...
.
Bargewell was born in Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington state, United States. The town borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting but Hoquiam has maintained its independent identity...
and graduated from Hoquiam High School in 1965.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
Bargewell completed Special Forces training and was accepted into MACV-SOG where he served at the "Command And Control North" launch site at Da Nang and served as team leader for Reconnaissance Team "Viper" (all CCN teams were named for states or snakes). While serving with CCN, Bargewell earned the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
for his actions in combat.
He is currently the last recipient of a DSC awarded for actions in Vietnam remaining on active duty. He then received his officer's commission in 1973.
Bargewell also served as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
,
a former commander of Delta Force at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
,
commander of US Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
,
assistant chief of staff for SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
military operations in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
,
and the director of the center operations, plans, and policies of US Special Operations Command.
While in Delta Force Bargewell participated in Operation Acid Gambit
Operation Acid Gambit
Operation Acid Gambit was a plan to retrieve Kurt Muse, an American civilian living in Panama and widely reported to be a CIA operative from the Carcel Modelo, a notorious prison in Panama City...
in Panama.
While serving as the Operations Officer for Multinational Force Iraq Bargewell pursued an outside administrative investigation as to how knowledge of the Haditha incident in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
passed up the Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
chain of command and whether or not any commanders lied in their reports. The informal investigation, pursuant to Army regulation AR 15-6, began on March 19, 2006 and was expected to examine how servicemembers and their commanders were trained in the rules of engagement.
The completed report was sent to Army Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli
Peter W. Chiarelli
Peter W. Chiarelli is a United States Army General who is serving as the 32nd and current Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He previously served as commander, Multi-National Corps—Iraq under General George W. Casey, Jr. He assumed his current assignment on August 4, 2008...
, the second-ranked US commander in Iraq, on the morning of June 15, 2006. This was separate from a criminal investigation being conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the primary security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Navy...
.