User:Redskevin2688/sandbox/Henry Callaghan

Henry Callaghan is an United States Army General and commander of the United States Special Operations Command.

Early Career

Born in Yakima, Washington to missionary parents, the 56-year-old was inspired to join West Point after reading an autobiography of Colin Powell, and graduated from West Point in 2001. Commissioned a Second Lieutenant, he proceeded on to complete Airborne and Ranger School, and was then posted to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team as a platoon leader in the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment. He deployed with the rest of the brigade for Operation Iraqi Freedom into Northern Iraq, earning a Bronze Star.

He was promoted to Captain in 2005, and was posted to the 1st Infantry Division and served initially as a staff officer, training replacements to serve in Iraq. Later during the Iraq Surge, he was posted to the 4th Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Southern Baghdad. He was wounded in battle during Operation Imposing Law, the mission to secure Baghdad, earning a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. Taking command of a small firebase, he and five others remained at their post after their Iraqi counterparts fled. He continued to rally his troops despite being shot in the shoulder and legs and resisted evacuation until the battle was won.

Special Forces Controversy

After recovering from his wounds, he tried out for Special Forces after his tour of duty. Because of his background with the 1st Infantry Division, he was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group and was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, where he did a tour of duty training forces in Burkina Faso in 2008. He then did a tour of duty at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School where he trained Captain Alejandro Medina, who would command American Special Forces in the Aruban Crisis and a Dutch Army exchange officer Captain Rob Visser.

While serving in Afghanistan, Major Henry Callaghan commanded a US Special Forces unit in support of an offensive in Kandahar after the Afghan elections. They worked with Marines who were attached to an Afghan commando unit, commanded by USMC Captain Tyson Chambers. During the battle, the Special Forces came under fire, and the Marines called in a Bell AH-1W Cobra gunship that was redirected to support the Special Forces. A Hellfire missile was launched and three Afghan civilians were killed and several Marines wounded. The Marine forces were wrongly blamed and all except for Captain Chambers had their careers restricted. Some of the Marines later served in the liberation of Aruba.

He then attended United States Army War College and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 2015, commanding 3rd Special Forces Group in Operation Inherent Resolve, where they trained Iraqi forces fighting ISIS.

During the evacuation from Afghanistan, then Brigadier General Henry Callaghan generated controversy when his sister Rebecca Callaghan accidentally revealed confidential information over Facebook. Rebecca was angry after he and his brother, a Sergeant First Class in the United States Army Reserve missed a family gathering over the deployment. No one was punished for this incident.

Operation Coronet Hawk

Callaghan was promoted to Colonel in 2018 and in 2020 returned to conventional forces 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was involved in plans to ensure the safety of all American Special Forces and to organize forces to assist in post-COVID relief efforts in the United States. During this time, elements of the brigade were deployed to Florida to assist state authorities in guarding Haitian refugees, and he commanded US forces in Operation Coronet Eagle, the evacuation of American citizens from Haiti.

He was then promoted to Brigadier General in 2024 and did a tour with the Systems Integration Management Office (SIMO) at USSCOM, where he was in charge of developing weapons for the use of all Special Forces. After three years, he was promoted to Major General and posted to XVIII Airborne Corps, where he would plan Operation Coronet Hawk.

Medals

U.S. military decorations
	Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
	Silver Star
	Bronze Star (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
	Purple Heart
U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons
	Iraq Campaign Medal (with Service Star)
	Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	National Defense Service Medal