Dan _____, Sergeant Major, US Army (Retired)
Advisor for Tactical Unit Support
Dan was born and raised in the Midwest. He joined the US Army and graduated from Airborne school after first completing his Basic and Fire Support Specialist training. His first unit of assignment was the 1st Ranger Battalion at Ft. Stewart (later Hunter Army Airfield), GA. He next volunteered for Special Forces and after completing Combat Engineer training, graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course as a demolitions sergeant. He was then assigned to 10th Special Forces Group - Europe (Bad Toelz, Germany) and served in Europe during the Cold War years of the early eighties.
After hearing of the existence of the newly formed Army counter-terrorist force, Dan volunteered for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta and successfully completed the selection and assessment course. During his assignment with this unit, Dan served in many foreign and operational assignments including combat in Grenada, Panama, and with the ground assault force during the operations in Mogadishu Somalia, later depicted in the book and movie "Blackhawk Down." He was later instrumental in the research and development of new technologies for Special Operations Forces and was involved in testing and evaluations of new weapons and equipment.
He also developed scenarios and directed exercises as well as serving as a Military Freefall Instructor and Course Director instructing Special Mission unit personnel in military freefall training. His awards, decorations, and qualifications include the Bronze Star with “V” Device, the Purple Heart w/ Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge, and Combat Diver badge. Upon his retirement from active duty in 2003, he was the one of the longest serving members of 1st SFOD-Delta. Since his Army retirement, he has been an independent consultant to organizations supporting defense contracts providing training and instruction to foreign Special Operations Forces and has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan.