In memory of General Eldon Bargewell

November 19, 1977, marked the beginning of an era of new national defense capability — the inception of the Tier-One national asset, the Delta Force. This year marks the 42nd anniversary of the creation of the Unit by the United States Army’s Colonel Charles Alvin “Chargin’ Charlie” Beckwith. Based on the world events of his day, Colonel Beckwith recognized a void in the nation’s national defense strategy where counter-terrorism was concerned — enter Delta Force.

When I came into the Unit in 1991, I was assigned Operator number 413, meaning that for the past 14 years there had only been 413 Operators assigned to the Unit. When I retired from Delta and the Military in 2001, the Unit had been in existence for 24 years. (Out of curiosity I wonder where the Operator assignment number stands today after the wars in the Middle East and the up-sizing of the Unit to accommodate the threat of terrorism.)