David Barno
Encyclopedia
David W. Barno is a retired Lieutenant General
of the United States Army
. He was head of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan from 2003–2005.
. He is a graduate of Union Endicott High School Class of 1972.
(USMA) at West Point, New York
(Class of 1976); Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses
, Command and General Staff College
, and the U.S. Army War College
.
In his civilian studies, he earned a Master of Arts
degree in National Security and Strategic Studies at Georgetown University
.
upon graduation from the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
, Class of June 1976. He started his career with the 25th Infantry Division, where he served as a rifle, weapons and scout platoon leader. He commanded companies in the 25th Infantry Division and the 1st Ranger Battalion, leading a Ranger Rifle Company during the invasion of Grenada in 1983.
In 1988 Barno returned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion
as S-3 (Operations) where he parachuted into Panama during Operation Just Cause. He subsequently served as the aide de camp to the Commanding General of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
General Barno commanded a Parachute Infantry Battalion in the 82nd Airborne division followed by command of the 2nd Ranger Battalion
at Ft Lewis, Washington. Following attendance at the Army war College, he commanded a multi-functional support brigade at Ft Polk, LA, and then directed the Joint Task Force training program at Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA. With three Ranger Battalion tours and battalion command in the 82nd Airborne, he accumulated over 110 parachute jumps during his career, to include a 500 foot night-time Parachute assault into Panama in 1989 during which 11 of 15 jump aircraft were struck by enemy fire. He holds two awards of the coveted Combat Infantryman's Badge as well as the Ranger Tab and Master Parachutist Badge with Combat Star.
Following selection to Brigadier General, General Barno served as the Assistant Division Commander (Operations) for the 25th Infantry Division as well as Deputy Director of Operations, US Pacific Command. Barno was promoted to Major General in 2001 and served as the Commanding General, Ft Jackson, SC, the Army's largest training base. During his time at Ft Jackson, he led Chief of Staff Army Task Forces on the Future Force Soldier and Warrior Ethos. Barno was the principal author of the Army's 2003 culture-changing Warrior Ethos which dictates: "Mission First, Never Accept Defeat, Never Quit, and Never Leave Behind a Fallen Comrade." In January 2003, Barno was deployed to Hungary as the Commanding General of Task Force Warrior tasked to train Free Iraqi Forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
General Barno was promoted to 3-star General in 2003 at age 49, becoming the first member of his West Point class of 1976 to achieve that distinction. In October 2003, he deployed to Afghanistan where he was designated to establish a three-star headquarters in Kabul and ultimately command over 20,000 Coalition Forces for 19 months as the first Commander, Military Operations-Afghanistan (later redesignated Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, United States Central Command
, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan). During his tenure, he forged a close relationship with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilizad, co-locating his command at the US Embassy compound and creating an integrated civil-military Counter-insurgency campaign plan for Afghanistan focused on the Afghan population, the first of its kind established in advance of the publication of an official post-Vietnam COIN doctrine by the US military in 2006.
After command in Afghanistan, General Barno was reassigned to The Pentagon in Washington, DC where he served briefly on the Army Staff as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (ACSIM) for the US Army until his decision to retire in the spring of 2006.
Following his retirement from active duty, Barno served as the Director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. for four years and joined the Center for a New American Security as a Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow in May 2010. From 2007-2009 he served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans and Families for the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs. He has testified numerous times before Congress on counter-insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Al Qaeda and Joint Professional Military Education, and lectures and writes often on those topics. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
in Washington, D.C. From 2006 until April 2009, he served as the Director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies
at the National Defense University. From 2007-2009 he served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans and Families for the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs. He testifies frequently before Congress on counter-insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Al Qaeda and Joint Professional Military Education, and lectures and writes often on those topics. Barno often travels throughout the Middle East and South Asia region and has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Tufts, Johns Hopkins SAIS, West Point, and the US Army and Naval War Colleges.
General Barno's many awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal (three awards), the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal (with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters), the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award, the Army Commendation and Achievement Medals and several campaign and unit awards for combat actions. He also has been awarded the Master Parachutist Badge with Combat Star, Pathfinder Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the German parachutist badge. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
of the United States Army
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...
. He was head of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan from 2003–2005.
Early life
Barno is a native of Endicott, New YorkEndicott, New York
Endicott is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 13,038 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village is named after Henry B...
. He is a graduate of Union Endicott High School Class of 1972.
Education
Barno's military education includes the United States Military AcademyUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
(USMA) at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
(Class of 1976); Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses
United States Army Infantry School
The United States Army Infantry School is located in Fort Benning, Georgia. It is made up of the following components:*192d Infantry Brigade...
, Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
, and the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
.
In his civilian studies, he earned a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in National Security and Strategic Studies at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Service career
Barno was commissioned a Second lieutenant of InfantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
upon graduation from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, Class of June 1976. He started his career with the 25th Infantry Division, where he served as a rifle, weapons and scout platoon leader. He commanded companies in the 25th Infantry Division and the 1st Ranger Battalion, leading a Ranger Rifle Company during the invasion of Grenada in 1983.
In 1988 Barno returned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion
2nd Ranger Battalion
2nd Ranger Battalion is the name of two distinct units of United States Army Rangers. The first was part of the six Ranger battalions of the Second World War...
as S-3 (Operations) where he parachuted into Panama during Operation Just Cause. He subsequently served as the aide de camp to the Commanding General of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
General Barno commanded a Parachute Infantry Battalion in the 82nd Airborne division followed by command of the 2nd Ranger Battalion
2nd Ranger Battalion
2nd Ranger Battalion is the name of two distinct units of United States Army Rangers. The first was part of the six Ranger battalions of the Second World War...
at Ft Lewis, Washington. Following attendance at the Army war College, he commanded a multi-functional support brigade at Ft Polk, LA, and then directed the Joint Task Force training program at Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA. With three Ranger Battalion tours and battalion command in the 82nd Airborne, he accumulated over 110 parachute jumps during his career, to include a 500 foot night-time Parachute assault into Panama in 1989 during which 11 of 15 jump aircraft were struck by enemy fire. He holds two awards of the coveted Combat Infantryman's Badge as well as the Ranger Tab and Master Parachutist Badge with Combat Star.
Following selection to Brigadier General, General Barno served as the Assistant Division Commander (Operations) for the 25th Infantry Division as well as Deputy Director of Operations, US Pacific Command. Barno was promoted to Major General in 2001 and served as the Commanding General, Ft Jackson, SC, the Army's largest training base. During his time at Ft Jackson, he led Chief of Staff Army Task Forces on the Future Force Soldier and Warrior Ethos. Barno was the principal author of the Army's 2003 culture-changing Warrior Ethos which dictates: "Mission First, Never Accept Defeat, Never Quit, and Never Leave Behind a Fallen Comrade." In January 2003, Barno was deployed to Hungary as the Commanding General of Task Force Warrior tasked to train Free Iraqi Forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
General Barno was promoted to 3-star General in 2003 at age 49, becoming the first member of his West Point class of 1976 to achieve that distinction. In October 2003, he deployed to Afghanistan where he was designated to establish a three-star headquarters in Kabul and ultimately command over 20,000 Coalition Forces for 19 months as the first Commander, Military Operations-Afghanistan (later redesignated Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, United States Central Command
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan). During his tenure, he forged a close relationship with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilizad, co-locating his command at the US Embassy compound and creating an integrated civil-military Counter-insurgency campaign plan for Afghanistan focused on the Afghan population, the first of its kind established in advance of the publication of an official post-Vietnam COIN doctrine by the US military in 2006.
After command in Afghanistan, General Barno was reassigned to The Pentagon in Washington, DC where he served briefly on the Army Staff as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (ACSIM) for the US Army until his decision to retire in the spring of 2006.
Following his retirement from active duty, Barno served as the Director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. for four years and joined the Center for a New American Security as a Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow in May 2010. From 2007-2009 he served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans and Families for the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs. He has testified numerous times before Congress on counter-insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Al Qaeda and Joint Professional Military Education, and lectures and writes often on those topics. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
Present career
General Barno retired from active duty in 2006 and is currently a Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American SecurityCenter for a New American Security
The Center for a New American Security is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank established in 2007 by co-founders Michèle Flournoy and Kurt M. Campbell which specializes in U.S. national security issues...
in Washington, D.C. From 2006 until April 2009, he served as the Director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies
Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies
Established in 2000, the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies is the preeminent U.S. Government institution for building relationships and understanding in the NESA region...
at the National Defense University. From 2007-2009 he served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans and Families for the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs. He testifies frequently before Congress on counter-insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Al Qaeda and Joint Professional Military Education, and lectures and writes often on those topics. Barno often travels throughout the Middle East and South Asia region and has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Tufts, Johns Hopkins SAIS, West Point, and the US Army and Naval War Colleges.
General Barno's many awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal (three awards), the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal (with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters), the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award, the Army Commendation and Achievement Medals and several campaign and unit awards for combat actions. He also has been awarded the Master Parachutist Badge with Combat Star, Pathfinder Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the German parachutist badge. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
Dates of rank
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
 |
LTG Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... |
November 27, 2003 |
 |
MG Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... |
February 1, 2003 |
 |
BG Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... |
January 1, 2000 |
 |
COL Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
September 1, 1996 |
 |
LTC Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... |
February 1, 1992 |
 |
MAJ Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... |
December 1, 1986 |
 |
CPT | August 1, 1980 |
 |
1LT First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank... |
June 2, 1978 |
 |
2LT Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal... |
June 2, 1976 |