# Bennet S. Sacolick

Lieutenant General Bennet S. Sacolick, is a retired general officer in the United States Army, former commander of Delta Force and John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. He has participated in numerous combat operations, such as; Operation Just Cause in 1989, Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993 and since 2001 the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

## Military career

Sacolick enlisted in the United States Army in 1981 and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment prior to attending Officer Candidate School. Sacolick earned his commission in the Infantry Branch in 1982 and was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 4th Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force-Italy as a rifle platoon leader. In 1986, after completing the Special Forces Qualification Course, he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group and participated in combat operations in El Salvador, Peru, Colombia and Panama during Operation Just Cause. In 1990 Sacolick volunteered for and completed a specialized selection course for assignment to the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (1st SFOD-D), commonly known as "Delta Force", based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Following completion of the unit's operators' training course (OTC), Sacolick served as Assistant Operations Officer and Troop Commander, participating in numerous combat operations during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia and Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia. Sacolick subsequently served as Deputy Operations Officer, Squadron Commander and later as the unit's commander from April 2003 to July 2005. From 2005 to 2008, Sacolick served as Deputy Director for Defense at the Central Intelligence Agency's Counter Terrorism Center, providing liaison and support for the agency's counterterrorism mission in addition to serving as a subject matter expert for Special Operations. Sacolick subsequently assumed command of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in August 2010. From 2012 to 2014, Sacolick was assigned as Director of Force Management and Development for the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base. Prior to his retirement in 2016, he served as the director for Strategic Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center.
Sacolick's military education includes graduation from the Infantry Officers Basic Course, Infantry Officers Advanced Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Defense Language Institute (Spanish) and United States Army Command and General Staff College.

## Awards and decorations

* Combat Infantryman Badge with Star (denoting 2nd award)
* Master Parachutist Badge
* Special Forces Tab
* Ranger tab
* Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge
* Special Operations Diver Badge
* US Army Special Forces Combat Service Identification Badge
* Special Forces Distinctive Unit Insignia
* 6 Overseas Service Bars
* Army Distinguished Service Medal
* Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Legion of Merit
* Bronze Star Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
* Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Joint Service Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
* Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Army Achievement Medal
* Army Presidential Unit Citation
* Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
* Valorous Unit Award
* Army Superior Unit Award
* Army Good Conduct Medal
* National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
* Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two service stars
* Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star
* Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star
* Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
* Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
* Armed Forces Service Medal
* Army Service Ribbon
* Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 2
* NATO Medal for the Former Yugoslavia
* Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
* Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)