Robert Stiles Harward, Jr. (born 1956), known as Bob Harward, is a retired

United States Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...

and a former Deputy Commander of the

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...

, under the leadership command of General

James Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persian ...

. After working as a Chief Executive at Lockheed Martin for eight years, he joine
Shield AI
as Executive Vice President for International Business and Strategy. He also served as the Deputy Commander of

U.S. Joint Forces Command United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense. USJFCOM was a functional command that provided specific services to the military. The last commander was Army Gen. Ray Odie ...

and previously commanded Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435. After the resignation of Michael T. Flynn, U.S. President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

offered him the position of

National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils. National sec ...

on February 14, 2017. He declined the President's offer on February 16. While Harward cited family commitments as his reason for refusing the role, news sources reported that Harward was unable to agree with Trump over his scope to make his own appointments to his team.

Early life and education

Harward was born into a Navy family in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

. During his teenage years, Harward's father advised the pre-revolutionary Iranian military and the family lived in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. While attending Tehran American School, Harward played sports against Iranian basketball, wrestling, and track teams; as well as other Tehran American School and International School football teams, was popular with his classmates and became familiar with the people and culture of Iran. He graduated from the Tehran American School in Iran in 1974. He speaks

Farsi Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken an ...

. He graduated from the

Naval Academy Preparatory School The Naval Academy Preparatory School or NAPS is the preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy. NAPS is located on Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. The mission of the Naval Academy Preparatory School is "To enhance Midshipman Ca ...

in Newport, and then received his bachelor's degree from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1979. Harward is also a graduate of the

College of Naval Command and Staff The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...

at the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...

as well as the

Armed Forces Staff College The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinat ...

. He served as a federal executive fellow at

RAND The RAND Corporation (from the phrase "research and development") is an American nonprofit global policy think tank created in 1948 by Douglas Aircraft Company to offer research and analysis to the United States Armed Forces. It is financed ...

, and completed the Foreign Policy Program (Seminar XXI) at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(MIT).

Military career

Harward reported to Surface Warfare Officer School in Newport with follow-on orders to the . After completion of a South American deployment in support of Unitas XXIV, he received orders to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at

Naval Amphibious Base Coronado Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB Coronado) is a US naval installation located across the bay from San Diego, California. The base, situated on the Silver Strand, between San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is a major Navy shore command, sup ...

where he graduated as the honor man of BUD/S class 128 in July 1984. Following SEAL Tactical Training (STT) and completion of a six-month probationary period, he received the 1130 designator as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, entitled to wear the

Special Warfare insignia The Special Warfare insignia, also known as the "SEAL Trident" or its popular nickname in the Navy community, "The Budweiser", recognizes those members of the United States Navy who have completed the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) trai ...

. As a Navy SEAL officer Harward served as platoon commander with SEAL Team THREE and then completed a specialized selection and training course for assignment to

Naval Special Warfare Development Group The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often referre ...

in 1988. Harward served as assault team leader and operations officer during which time he planned, rehearsed and operated during classified exercises and operations. Harward later earned a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the

. Harward served staff and command tours including Naval Special Warfare task group commander for

Operation Desert Thunder Operation Desert Thunder was a response to threats by Iraq's president Saddam Hussein to shoot down U-2 spy planes, and violate the no-fly zone set up over his country. The operation was designed to bring stability to the region by bringing in a ...

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

; Joint Special Operations task force commander for Operation Rugged Nautilus; deputy commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in support of

Operation Joint Forge The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. I ...

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

.; Special Warfare Plans officer for Commander Amphibious Forces U.S. Seventh Fleet; Aide-de-Camp to Commander-in-Chief, USSOCOM; executive officer of Naval Special Warfare Unit ONE and commanding officer of SEAL Team THREE from 1996 to 1998. As a Navy

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, Harward assumed command of Naval Special Warfare Group ONE (NSWG 1) in August 2001 and deployed shortly after

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

, to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. He commanded a special multinational task force CJSOTF-South, later renamed

Task Force K-Bar Task Force K-Bar, originally the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-South (CJSOTF-South), was led by the United States and composed of special operations forces from seven nations. It undertook the first major ground deployment in the Wa ...

and directed special reconnaissance and direct action missions throughout the country. In October 2002, Harward deployed as Commander, Task Force 561 where he commanded Naval Special Warfare Task Group Central in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. His forces included all the assets in the Naval Special Warfare inventory as well as forces from the

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

GROM Grom may refer to: Military * JW GROM, a Polish special forces unit * ORP ''Grom'', several ships of the Polish Navy * Grom (missile), a Polish anti-aircraft missile * A Yugoslav/Serbian version of the Kh-23 (AS-9 'Kyle') air-to-surface missi ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

and the

Kuwaiti Navy The Kuwait Naval Force (Arabic: القوة البحرية الكويتية romanized: ''Al-Quwwat Al-Bahriyah Al-Kuwaitiyah''), is the sea-based component of the Kuwait Armed Forces. The headquarters and sole naval base is Mohammed Al-Ahmad ...

. Harward relinquished command of NSWG 1 in August 2003 and reported to the

Executive Office of the President The Executive Office of the President (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The EOP consists of several offices and agenci ...

at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

. He served on the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...

staff as the director of Strategy and Defense Issues. In April 2005, Harward was assigned to the new

National Counterterrorism Center The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in Liberty Crossing, a modern complex near Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia ...

in Washington, as the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the Senior Interagency Strategy Team. From June 2006 to July 2008, Harward served as the Deputy Commanding General,

Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equip ...

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, and he served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He considered himself proud of helping to improve the situation of women on his duty. On November 3, 2008, Harward assumed the position of Deputy Commander, United States Joint Forces Command. In 2011, Harward was reappointed to the rank of Vice Admiral and assigned to the position of Deputy Commander, United States Central Command led by General

. In October 2013, he was replaced by VADM

Mark I. Fox Mark Irby "MRT" Fox (born March 1, 1956) is a retired United States Navy vice admiral who served as the Deputy Commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Prior to assuming his duties at CENTCOM, he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Opera ...

. On August 19, 2013, Harward was presented the Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award by the U.S. Naval War College. Established in 1996 by the NWC Foundation, the award honors NWC graduates who have attained positions of prominence in the field of national security. Harward retired in November 2013 after 34 years of military service. In January 2014, he became the Chief Executive of

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...

United Arab Emirates. Following the resignation of Michael T. Flynn as

on February 13, 2017, journalists identified Harward as one of the principal candidates to replace him. President

offered him the position on February 14, 2017. Harward declined the position on February 16. Media reports cited sources indicating that Harward was unable to agree with Trump over making his own appointments to his team. On September 4, 2019, Patriot One Technologies Inc., a

threat detection In computer security, a threat is a potential negative action or event facilitated by a vulnerability that results in an unwanted impact to a computer system or application. A threat can be either a negative " intentional" event (i.e. hacking: ...

technology company A technology company (or tech company) is an electronics-based technological company, including, for example, business relating to digital electronics, software, and internet-related services, such as e-commerce services. Details According to ''Fo ...

, announced that Harward had joined the company's Senior Advisory Board. On January 26, 2022, Shield AI, an AI-focused defense technology company, announced Harward as their Executive Vice President for International Business and Strategy.

Awards and decorations

References

External links

* *
Robert Harward on ABC News
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harward, Robert 1956 births Living people People from Newport, Rhode Island United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy SEALs personnel College of Naval Command and Staff alumni United States Navy personnel of the Gulf War United States Navy personnel of the Iraq War United States Navy personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) United States Naval Special Warfare Command United States Navy admirals Recipients of the Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Humanitarian Service Medal