Colonel Daniel W. Harris is the Vice Commander, 352d Special Operations Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom. He assists in directing operations of over 1,200 active-duty and civilian Airmen performing Special Tactics missions, MC-130J Commando II aircraft operations, and CV-22B Osprey aircraft operations for United States Air Force Special Operations in the United States European Command.
Colonel Harris received his commission through Reserve Officer Training Corps with a B.S. in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in December 1998. With primary aviation experience as an AC-130 gunship navigator/combat system officer, he has deployed multiple times, to include the initial deployments for both Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. Colonel Harris has commanded at the squadron level and has served in staff assignments at Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Resolute Support/United States Forces-Afghanistan and Headquarters United States Special Operations Command. He was born in Maine, raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and is married with a ten-year-old son.
Prior to assuming his current position, he was the Director of Safety at Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, FL.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), AL
2006 Masters of Business Administration, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
2008 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
2011 Masters of Science, Defense Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
2012 Joint Forces Staff College, Joint and Combined Warfighting School - JPME Phase II, Norfolk, VA
2015 Air War College (correspondence)
2020 Master of Strategic Studies, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1999 - March 2000 – Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Randolph Air Force Base (AFB), TX
2. March 2000 - March 2001 – Student, AC-130 navigator initial mission qualification, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
3. March 2001 - December 2004 – AC-130U navigator and plans officer, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
4. December 2004 - September 2007 – AC-130U instructor navigator and AC-130U branch chief, later evaluator navigator and flight commander, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
5. September 2007 - September 2008 – AC-130U evaluator navigator and Flight Safety Officer, 1st Special Operations Wing Safety, Hurlburt Field, FL
6. September 2008 - May 2010 – Deputy chief, fixed wing flight safety, later Chief, AFSOC flight safety, Directorate of Safety, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, FL
7. June 2010 - December 2011 – Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
8. January 2012 - January 2013 – Operations Officer, Exploitation Division, later Chief, Operations Branch, Inter-Agency Task Force, Headquarters United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, FL
9. January 2013 - January 2015 – Strategist, Commander’s Action Group, Headquarters United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, FL
10. February 2015 - August 2015 – Student, AC-130W combat systems officer initial qualification, 551st Special Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM
11. August 2015 - June 2017 – Assistant Operations Officer, later Operations Officer, 27th Special Operations Air Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM
12. June 2017 - June 2018 – Commander, 27th Special Operations Air Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM
13. June 2018 - June 2019 – Deputy Director, Resolute Support/United States Forces-Afghanistan Commander’s Action Group, Kabul, Afghanistan
14. July 2019 - June 2020 – Student, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA
15. June 2020 - June 2022 – Director of Safety, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, FL
16. June 2022 - Present – Vice Commander, 352d Special Operations Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight Hours: More than 2800, including more than 1000 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: MC-130J, AC-130W, AC-130U, T-43A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
(Current as of July 2023)