By Jim Garamone, DoD News, Defense Media Activity –
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2014 – The Army announced that Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene, the deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, was the officer killed in the attack at Afghanistan’s military academy in Kabul yesterday.
Greene was part of a coalition visit to the Marshal Fahim National Defense University, the Afghan army’s commissioned and noncommissioned officer academy. A man dressed in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the party, killing Greene, wounding a German army brigadier general and wounding several other NATO personnel, including Americans, International Security Assistance Force officials said.
The shooter was killed.
A joint NATO-Afghan team will investigate the incident, Defense Department officials said.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said the thoughts and prayers of all in the service are with those who suffered such a tragic loss. The soldiers killed or wounded “were professionals, committed to the mission,” Odierno said in a written statement. “It is their service and sacrifice that define us as an Army.”
The Army’s priority is to take care of the families, ensuring they have all the resources they need during this critical time, the general said.
“We remain committed to our mission in Afghanistan and will continue to work with our Afghan partners to ensure the safety and security of all coalition soldiers and civilians,” he added.
Greene was involved in the effort to train, advise and assist Afghan national security forces to support the creation of a capable and enduring force that protects the Afghan population and denies safe havens to the insurgency. He was the highest-ranking officer killed since Army Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude was killed in the attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
Greene was commissioned through the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York in 1980. In his career, he served in a variety of posts, including on the Army Staff. He also served as the program executive officer for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors.
As a brigadier general, Greene commanded the Soldiers System Center in Natick, Massachusetts. Greene also served at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and in St. Louis. He served overseas in Germany, Greece and Turkey.
Greene held a doctorate from the University of Southern California in materials science, as well as master’s degrees in engineering.
His military education includes the Army War College, the Advanced Program Management Course at the Defense Systems Management College, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses. His awards include the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with a silver cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Superior Unit Award.
