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Career Timeline

Major General
Eldon A. Bargewell

United States Army

Eldon Bargewell joined the US Army in 1967. In a career spanning five decades, he rose from the rank of Private to Major General. At the time of his retirement in 2006, he was the most decorated active duty soldier. His awards include the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest medal for valor.

1967 – 1968

Rank

PRIVATE

  • United States Army Basic Training, Fort Lewis, Washington
  • United States Army Special Forces Training, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

1968 – 1973

Rank

Staff Sargent

Ranger School orders

Orders sending PFC Eldon Bargewell to Ranger School

Eldon Bargewell with his parents

Eldon Bargewell with the Outstanding Candidate Award
(pictured with his mother and father, Audrey and Art)

1973

Rank

Second Lieutenant

Graduated from Infantry Officers’ Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia, as Leadership Honor Graduate of OCS class 3-73

Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell

June 1973 – June 1980

Rank

Second Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Captain

Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell

July 1980 – April 1981

Rank

Captain

Infantry Branch Representative, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia

May 1981 – December 1988

Rank

Captain
Major

Commander, later Executive Officer, later S-3 (Operations), later Squadron Commander, Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 

January 1989 – February 1991

Rank

Major
Lieutenant Colonel

Major General Eldon A. Bargewell and President George H. W. Bush
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell

March 1991 – May 1993

Rank

Lieutenant Colonel

Squadron Commander, later Deputy Commander, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment- Delta (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina

June 1993 – May 1996

Rank

Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel

Deputy Director for Operations, J-3, later Director for Operations, J-3, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

May 1996 – August 1998

Rank

Colonel

Commander, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell and Gerald Fontana

August 1998 – June 2000

Rank

Brigadier General

Commanding General, Special Operations Command Europe, United States European Command, Germany and OPERATION NOBLE ANVIL, Kosovo

July 2000 – July 2001

Rank

Brigadier General

Assistant Chief of Staff for Military Operations SFOR (Sarajevo), Joint Headquarters Centre, Allied Command Europe

August 2001 – July 2003

Rank

Brigadier General
Major General

Director, Center for Operations, Plans and Policy, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

July 2003 – March 2005

Rank

Major General

MG Bargewell with MG Ken Bowra at NATO change of command (July 2003)

MG Eldon Bargewell and MG Ken Bowra at NATO
(Photo Credit Ken Bowra)

April 2005 – May 2006

Rank

Major General

Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, C-3, Multi-National Force-Iraq, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Iraq

Major General Eldon A. Bargewell
MG Eldon Bargewell and soldiers
Major General Eldon A. Bargewell

Please donate by mailing your check to:

Grays Harbor Community Foundation
c/o MG Eldon Bargewell Memorial
707 J Street
Hoquiam, WA 98550

Or online at:
https://www.gh-cf.org/online-donation/

Select "Eldon Bargewell Memorial Fund" in the Donations Options box.

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