| General
Wayne A. Downing served in a variety of command assignments in
infantry, armored, special operations, and joint units, culminating in
his appointment as the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Special Operations
Command. He served two combat tours in Vietnam as a junior infantry
officer with the 173d Airborne Brigade.
As a general officer, Wayne Downing
commanded the special operations of all services during the 1989
invasion of Panama and commanded a joint special operations task force
operating deep behind the Iraqi lines during Operation DESERT STORM.
Following retirement, General Wayne Downing was appointed by the
President to assess the 1996 terrorist attack on the U.S. base at Khobar
Towers in Saudi Arabia, and to make recommendations on how to protect
Americans and U.S. facilities worldwide from terrorist attack.
From 1999-2000, General Wayne Downing
was a member of the Congressionally mandated National Commission on
Terrorism (the Bremer Commission) charged with examining the terrorist
threat to the US, evaluating America's laws, policies, and practices for
preventing and punishing terrorism directed at US citizens, and
recommending corrective actions.
General Wayne Downing most recently
served in the White House as National Director and Deputy National
Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism. As the President's principal
advisor on matters related to combating terrorism, he was responsible
for the close coordination among the military, diplomatic, intelligence,
law enforcement, information, and financial operations of our war on
terror, and for developing and executing a strategy that integrated all
elements of national power.
General Wayne Downing is the Chairman
of the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West
Point. The Center seeks to better understand foreign and domestic
terrorism threats, to educate future leaders, and to provide political
analysis and advice to counter future terrorist activities. He serves on
two boards in the private sector and has served on three government
advisory panels. General Downing is a visiting faculty member at the
University of Michigan Business School conducting seminars on leadership
and transformation management.
His awards include twelve decorations
for valor on the battlefield and the Purple Heart. General Wayne Downing
has earned the Combat Infantryman's Badge. He is a Military Free Fall
Jumpmaster, a Master Parachutist, and an Army Ranger. General Downing is
a Commander in the French Legion of Honor.
General Downing has a B.S. degree from
the U.S. Military Academy and a Masters degree in Business
Administration from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Submitted by Tom Wilburn |
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