William H. McRaven
William Harry McRaven (born November 6, 1955) is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) from August 8, 2011 to August 28, 2014. From 2015 to 2018, he was the chancellor of The University of Texas System.
William McRaven
3
1977–2014
McRaven served from June 13, 2008 to August 2011 as commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)[1] and from June 2006 to March 2008 as commander of Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR).[1] In addition to his duties as COMSOCEUR, he was designated as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Center (NSCC), where he was charged with enhancing the capabilities and inter-operability of all NATO Special Operations Forces. McRaven retired from the U.S. Navy on September 1, 2014, after more than 37 years of service.[2]
McRaven was reportedly considered by President Joe Biden for appointment as Secretary of Defense[3] before Biden nominated Lloyd Austin.
Early life[edit]
McRaven was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He is the son of Anna Elizabeth (Long) and Col. Claude C. McRaven, a Spitfire fighter pilot in World War II[4][5] who played briefly in the NFL,[6] and has two older sisters. His father, a career Air Force officer, was stationed at Pope Air Force Base, now known as Pope Field, part of the former Fort Bragg now Fort Liberty. His family moved to Texas while he was in elementary school and settled in San Antonio. McRaven attended Theodore Roosevelt High School where he took part in track.[7]
McRaven attended the University of Texas at Austin where he was a walk-on member of the track team, and was a member of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. He graduated in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in journalism,[8] and was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2012.[9][10] McRaven holds a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, where he helped establish and was the first graduate from the Special operations/Low intensity conflict curriculum.
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Special operations[edit]
After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, McRaven was commissioned as an officer (Ensign) in the U.S. Navy and volunteered for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S). After six months of training, McRaven graduated with BUD/S class 95 in January 1978. Following completion of a six-month probationary period, he received the 1130 designator as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, entitled to wear the Special Warfare insignia. As a Navy SEAL officer, McRaven was deployed to the Philippines with Naval Special Warfare Unit One in 1979 and 1981.[11][12] In 1982, as a junior officer, McRaven received assignment to SEAL Team Six in Dam Neck, Virginia under the command of CDR Richard Marcinko and completed a specialized selection and training course. McRaven served as assault team leader but was relieved of duty in 1983 due to McRaven's concerns about military discipline, and difficulties in keeping his sailors in line at the command. Richard Marcinko fired the 27-year-old McRaven in 1983. "He was a bright guy, but he didn't like my rude and crude way," Marcinko said. "If I was a loose cannon, he was too rigid. He took the special out of special warfare."[13] McRaven was transferred to another east coast based SEAL team.
McRaven served numerous staff and command assignments within the special operations community, including platoon commander at Underwater Demolition Team 21/SEAL Team Four, squadron commander at Naval Special Warfare Development Group, executive officer of SEAL Team ONE, task unit commander during the Persian Gulf War, task group commander in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, commanding officer of SEAL Team THREE from 1994 to 1996, deputy commander for operations at JSOC, commanding officer of Naval Special Warfare Group ONE from 1999 to 2001.[14] In early 2001 McRaven suffered a broken pelvis in a parachute accident during a training exercise.[15][16] McRaven earned a Master of Arts degree at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1993. McRaven's thesis was titled "The Theory of Special Operations" (republished in 1995 as Spec Ops: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare: Theory and Practice).[17][18]
McRaven later served as a staff officer with an interagency coordination concentration, including as the director for Strategic Planning in the Office of Combating Terrorism on the National Security Council Staff, assessment director at U.S. Special Operations Command, on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and the chief of staff at Naval Special Warfare Group 1.
McRaven was the deputy to General Stanley A. McChrystal and later leader of a battle group targeting Al Qaeda in Iraq called 'Task Force 714', which proved to be innovative and highly successful.[19]After McRaven took command of JSOC in 2008 he was prompted to request that a unit be stood up to deal with engaging female Afghans on different special operations in Afghanistan. These teams would be called Cultural Support Teams, or CSTs.[20][21]
Personal life[edit]
McRaven is the son of a career Air Force officer.[47] McRaven married Georgeann Brady, then a fellow undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin, in 1978.[48][49] They have three children.[50]
McRaven attended the 2012 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner as the guest of his fifth grade classmate, Karen Tumulty.[51] McRaven was approached by the centrist group No Labels as a potential candidate for the 2024 Presidential Race.[52]
In a comprehensive interview, Admiral William McRaven discussed the importance of sustained U.S. leadership on the global stage, particularly as the 2024 election approaches with concerns over potential isolationist policies. He noted the challenges in military recruitment exacerbated by the pandemic but expressed optimism about future improvements. McRaven emphasized the necessity of continued U.S. support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict, highlighting the strategic and humanitarian reasons for backing. He also addressed the situation in Gaza, advocating for balanced U.S. guidance to minimize civilian casualties while managing regional conflicts effectively.[46]
Philanthropy[edit]
McRaven and his wife are the members of the board of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.[53]
In March 2024, McRaven was granted $50-million Courage and Civility Award by Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez in recognition of his services to the community.[54] He said he would use the gift to focus on educating the children of deceased veterans, the mental health performance of veterans, and educating the future military leaders.[55]