William H . McRaven William Harry " Bill " McRaven ( born November 6 , 1955 ) is a United States Navy admiral , and Commander , U . S . Special Operations Command , since August 8 , 2011 . He previously served from June 13 , 2008 to August 2011 as Commander , Joint Special Operations Command ( JSOC ) and from June 2006 to March 2008 as Commander , Special Operations Command Europe ( SOCEUR ) . In addition to his duties as COMSOCEUR , he was designated as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Centre ( NSCC ) , where he was charged with enhancing the capabilities and inter - operability of all NATO Special Operations Forces . Early life and education . McRaven was born in Pinehurst , North Carolina , and spent most of his formative years in San Antonio , Texas , where he graduated from Roosevelt High School . He is the son of the late Col . Claude " Mac " McRaven , World War II pilot who played briefly in the NFL . McRaven attended the University of Texas at Austin on a track scholarship , and was a member of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps . He graduated in 1977 with a bachelor ' s degree in journalism . 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 . Career . Special operations . McRaven has commanded at every level within the special operations community , including assignments as deputy commander for operations at JSOC , Commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group 1 , Commander of SEAL Team 3 , task group commander in the CENTCOM area of responsibility , task unit commander during the Persian Gulf War , squadron commander at Naval Special Warfare Development Group , and SEAL platoon commander at Underwater Demolition Team 21 / SEAL Team 4 . McRaven ' s thesis at the Naval Postgraduate School was titled " The Theory of Special Operations " . McRaven has also served as a staff officer with an interagency coordination focus , 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 . On April 6 , 2011 , McRaven was nominated by President Barack Obama for appointment to the rank of admiral and as the ninth Commander of USSOCOM , of which JSOC is a component . In his confirmation hearings , McRaven " endorsed a steady manpower growth rate of 3 % to 5 % a year " and favored more resources for USSOCOM , including " additional drones and the construction of new special operations facilities . " After the Armed Services committee hearings , in late June , McRaven was confirmed unanimously by the Senate for his promotion to four - star admiral and as commander of USSOCOM and took command August 8 . The transfer ceremony was led by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in Tampa , with Admiral Olson also in attendance , two days after the Wardak Province helicopter crash which cost 30 Americans , including 22 SEALs , their lives . With several hundred in attendance , Panetta spoke of sending " a strong message of American resolve [ and ] . . . carry [ ing ] on the fight . " Operation Neptune Spear . McRaven is credited for organizing and executing Operation Neptune Spear , the special ops raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2 , 2011 . CIA Director Leon Panetta delegated the raid to McRaven who has worked almost exclusively on counterterrorism operations and strategy since 2001 . According to the " New York Times " , " In February , Mr . Panetta called Vice Adm . William H . McRaven , commander of the Pentagon ' s Joint Special Operations Command , to CIA headquarters in Langley , Virginia , to give him details about the compound and to begin planning a military strike . Admiral McRaven , a veteran of the covert world who had written a book on American Special Operations , spent weeks working with the CIA on the operation , and came up with three options : a helicopter assault using U . S . Navy SEALs , a strike with B - 2 bombers that would obliterate the compound , or a joint raid with Pakistani intelligence operatives who would be told about the mission hours before the launch . " The day before the assault , " Mr . Obama took a break from rehearsing for the White House Correspondents Dinner that night to call Admiral McRaven , to wish him luck . " In December 2011 , " Time " profiled McRaven as runner - up for Time Person of the Year for his role in the operation . Personal life . McRaven attended the 2012 White House Correspondents ' Association Dinner as the guest of his fifth grade classmate , Karen Tumulty .