Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. Aycock was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 2-66, 15 August 1966. His first duty assignment was as an Executive Officer, Special Forces Detachment A-23, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), North Carolina Army National Guard, Wilmington, North Carolina. Full Time Training duty tours completed by him during this assignment included his completion of the Officer Basic Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Special Forces Officer Course, and the Special Forces Jumpmaster Course | His subsequent duty assignments include: Commander, Special Forces Operational Detachment A-46, later, S-4, D Company, later redesignated 3d Spcial Forces Battalion, 7th Spcial Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Platoon Leader, B Company, Exploitation (Hatchet) Force, later, S-2, Spcial Operations Augmentation (Command and Control, Central), 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Republic of Vietnam (This was an all-volunteer Special Mission Unit that performed highly classified, covert, protracted cros-border strategic reconnaissance, interdiction, and exploitation operations deep in enemy-held and contested territory -- under the operational control of the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group.); Senior Provincial Reconnaissance Unit Advisor, United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Combined Studies Division, Republic of Vietnam (This was a Joint Special Mission Unit, the action arm of the Phoenix Program, that performed highly classified and sensitive Counter-Terrorist and anti-Viet Cong Infrastructure operations); Chief, Military Free Fall Committee, later, Deputy Division Chief, Specialized Airborne Training Division, Special Forces School, United States Army Institute for Military Assistance, later redesignated United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, Nort Carolina; Officer Stuent, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Class 6-73, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; S-2\3, B Company, later, Commander, Special Forces Operations Detactment Alfa-9, B Company, 1st Special Forces Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Okinawa, Japan; Commander, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alfa-734 (Military Free Fall/Special; Atomic Demolition Munition), C Company, 1st Special Forces Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE NOT ON ACTIVE DUTY; Assistant S-3, later, Commander, C Company, 3d Special Forces Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Active Duty for Training tours completed during this assignment were the Tactical Intelligence Staff Officer Course and his selection for, and completion of, the United States Army Command and General Staff Officer Course-Reserve Component, in residence, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, August-December, 1976); Chief, Specialized Training Division (Individual Mobilization Augrnentee), Special Forces School, United States Army Institute for Military Assistance, later redesignated United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; S-3, 2d Battalion, 321'1-Infantry Regiment, 108th Division (Training) (Infantry), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; ACTIVE DUTY—ACTIVE GUARD/RESERVE STATUS; Executive Officer, 1st Special Forces Battalion, 12th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Richards¬Gebaur Air Reserve Base, Belton, Missouri (Completed Master's Degree--after duty); Chief, Infantry/Special Operations Officer Personnel Management Branch, Officer Personnel Management Directorate, United States Army Reserve Personnel Center, later redesignated United States Army Human Resources Command-St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; Plans Officer, G-3, 1st Special Operations Command (Airborne), later redesignated United States Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina (Completed the rigorous, two-year Army War College Corresponding Studies Course; now, the Distance Education Program); Senior United States Army Reserve Advisor, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina (a Colonel's position); (Branch transferred to the newly-created Special Forces Branch). | His military education and training includes: Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses Basic Airborne Course, Special Forces Officer Course, Special Forces Jumpmaster Course, Military Free Fall Parachutist Course, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Course, Tactical Intelligence Staff Officer Course, Command and General Staff Officer Course, United States Army War College. He is a graduate of Webster University—Master of Arts, Business Administration University of the State of New York—Bachelor of Science, Sociology. | His military awards and decorations include: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Badge, Special Forces Tab. | Lieutenant Colonel Aycock retired at Holden Beach, North Carolina after 20 year of Active Federal Service, intermixed with 11 years Reserve Component Service, and an additional 15 years Federal Civilian Service to the Nation as a Department of the Army Special Operations Civilian, as: Writer-Editor, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; later, in the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, G-3, United States Army Special Operations Command (a United States Army Major Command), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as the: Deputy Plans Chief; later, Deputy Chief, Plans and Operations Division; later, Deputy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, later redesignated as the Deputy G-3; later, Chief, Theater Operations Division, Operations Directorate. His Federal Civilian Service was in grades, GS-11, GS-12, and GM-13. | His FEDERAL CIVILIAN SERVICE AWARDS: Meritorious Civilian Service Award (Department of the Army Civilian Service Award comparable to the Military Legion of Merit), Quality Leadership Award, United States Special Operations Command, Certificate of Achievement, United States Army Special Operations Command, Superior Performance Awards, Monetary Awards, Time Off Awards, Quality Step Increases. | PERSONAL REFERENCES IN PUBLICATIONS: Special Forces of the United States Army, 1952-1982, Sutherland, 1990 MACV SOG (Behind Enemy Lines), Saal, 1990, The Phoenix Program. Valentine, 1990, Code Name: Copperhead, Garner, 1994, Fathers and Sons, Richissin, 2000, The Fayetteville Observer, 2003, The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 1987. | PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Donated a kidney to grandson; 151 Special Forces Regiment Regimental Supper, Scholarship Chairman, fraternal veterans' organization, Original member of the General Staff in the organization of the North Carolina State Defense Force; served initially as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, and later, as the Chief of Staff; earned State promotion as Colonel, State Defense Force Mentor to numerous successful Active Duty and Reserve Component officers over thirty five-year military and Army civilian career, Life member of many military and veterans' organizations. | POST 9/11/2001 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Of special note was his performance as the Theater Operations Division Chief, GM-13, in which he was the driving force in the management of the United States Army Special Operations Command's operational support to Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM-AFGHANISTAN, and ENDURING FREEDOM-PHILLIPINES. On 9/11, his division established the Command's Crisis Action Team. They quickly became the role model for the less-experienced staff officers and set the tone for subsequent Team members. His leadership contributed greatly to the Command's immediate wartime footing and unqualified mission success in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. He subsequently led the Command's program to re-prioritize unit deployments to support the Global War on Terror and his Division led the Command's cornpartmented and complicated mission analysis and staff estimate planning effort to support the preparation to conduct Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. After the Command's results were briefed to General Holland, then the Commander, United States Special Operations Command, he directed that his other Service Components conduct analyses and estimates based on the Army Special Operations Command's model. Mr. Aycock led his Division in the timely, short-suspense, issuing of countless Prepare-to-Deploy Orders and subsequent Deployment Orders in all phases of combat operations and was recognized by the Commander for his efforts. Before and during the conflict, he oversaw all aspects of the rapid deployment of the all-time record of Army Special Operations Forces, their equipment, and associated materiel into the combat zones. | STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR'S HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM, Director of Evaluation. At the State level, Mr. Aycock established this office, directorate, and function. He devised, established, and managed a systematic evaluation program which evaluated the effectiveness of highway safety programs and projects funded State-wide by the State of North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program and also evaluated the State's overall Annual Highway Safety Plan. As a senior staff member, one of three Directors, Mr. Aycock had significant impact on the utilization of Program-administered funds and made major finding recommendations. Mr. Aycock professionally managed and trained his directorate and coordinated extensively with the internal staff, other State agencies, departments, and directorates as well as municipalities and the appropriate Federal agencies. He left this position to re-enter active military service as an Active Guard/Reserve Officer. | CIVILIAN AWARD NARRATIVE: MR. CHARLES A. AYCOCK, GM13, DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY EXEMPLARY SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE PERIOD 12 DECEMBER 1988 TO 10 JANUARY 2004 THROUGH A SUCCESSION OF INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT AND IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENTS, CULMINATING IN THE CRITICAL ASSIGNMENT AS CHIEF, THEATER OPERATIONS DIVISION, OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, G3, U.S. ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (USASOC). THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD, MR. AYCOCK CONTRIBUTED IMMEASURABLY TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF NUMEROUS SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMED OUTSTANDING, EXEMPLARY, SERVICE IN CLEARLY AN EXCEPTIONAL MANNER IN SUPPORT OF U.S. ARMY SPECLAL OPERATIONS FORCES (ARSOF) AND THE GREATER SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMUNITY. IN HIS CURRENT POSITION, WHICH HE HAS HELD SINCE 1 MAY 1997, MR. AYCOCK HAS BEEN KEY IN THE EXPANSION AND MATURATION OF THE OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE'S THEATER DESKS TO HAVE THEM ADEQUATELY SUPPORT THE COMMAND'S ROLE AS A MAJOR U.S. ARMY COMMAND (MACOM) AND UNIFIED COMBATANT COMPONENT COMMAND. HE HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF USASOC'S OPERATIONAL SUPPORT OF NUMEROUS CONTINGENCY AND OTHER REAL-WORLD OCONUS OPERATIONS (OPERATIONS IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM-PHILIPPINES, JOINT ENDEAVOR, JOINT FORGE, JOINT GUARDIAN, DESERT SPRING. DESERT FOX, AND DESERT THUNDER) WHILE CONCURRENTLY MANAGING ROBUST PROGRAMS FOR ARSOF PARTICIPATION IN JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF (JCS) EXERCISES, JOINT COMBINED EXCHANGE TRAINING (JCET), COUNTERDRUG, AND HUMANITARIAN MINING ASSISTANCE DEPLOYMENTS. ON 9/11, HIS DIVISION ESTABLISHED THE COMMAND'S INITIAL CRISIS ACTION TEAM, BECAME ROLE MODELS, AND SET THE TONE FOR SUBSEQUENT TEAM MEMBERS. HIS LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE COMMAND'S IMMEDIATE WARTIME FOOTING AND UNQUALIFIED MISSION SUCCESS IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. HE SUBSEQUENTLY LED THE COMMAND'S PROGRAM TO RE-PRIORITIZE ARSOF UNIT DEPLOYMENTS TO SUPPORT THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR. HIS DIVISION LED THE COMMAND'S COMPARTMENTED AND COMPLICATED MISSION AND ANALYSIS AND STAFF ESTIMATE PLANNING EFFORT TO SUPPORT THE PREPARATION TO CONDUCT OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. AFTER THE COMMAND'S RESULTS WERE BRIEFED TO GENERAL HOLLAND, THEN THE COMMANDER, UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (USSOCOM), HE DIRECTED THAT HIS OTHER SERVICE COMPONENTS CONDUCT ANALYSES AND ESTIMATES BASED ON USASOC'S MODEL. MR. AYCOCK LED HIS DIVISION IN THE TIMELY, SHORT-SUSPENSE, ISSUING OF COUNTLESS PREPARE-TO-DEPLOY ORDERS AND SUBSEQUENT DEPLOYMENT ORDERS IN ALL PHASES OF COMBAT OPERATIONS AND WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMANDER FOR HIS EFFORTS. BEFORE AND DURING THE CONFLICT, HE OVERSAW ALL ASPECTS OF THE RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF THE ALL-TIME RECORD OF ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES, THEIR EQUIPMENT, AND MATERIEL, INTO THE COMBAT ZONES. MR. AYCOCK'S SUPERIOR ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP QUALITIES PROMOTE AN ATMOSPHERE OF QUIET PROFESSIONALISM THAT FOSTERS THE DRIVE AND INITIATIVE OF SUBORDINATES. HE WAS ONE OF ONLY FOUR MACOM SUPERVISORS WHOSE INPUT WAS USED TO DEVELOP THE USASOC SUPERVISOR'S COMPETENCY MODEL. EARLIER, AS DEPUTY DCSOPS, APRIL 1995 THROUGH APRIL 1997, MR. AYCOCK PROVIDED MUCH NEEDED CONTINUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE ODCSOPS DURING THE ROTATION OF THE DCSOPS, ADCSOPS, ALL OF THE THEN-DIVISION CHIEFS AND MANY OTHER FIELD GRADE OFFICERS. HE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENTED THE DCSOPS IN NUMEROUS MACOM MEETINGS AND COUNCILS, AS WELL AS MANAGED THE DCSOPS' MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET AND ALL ASPECTS OF THE DCSOPS' ELABORATE TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT ACHIEVEMENTS. HE WAS HONORED BY USSOCOM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AS A MEMBER OF USSOCOM'S PROCESS ACTION TEAM OF THE YEAR, 1996. EARLIER, AS DEPUTY PLANS AND OPERATIONS DIVISION CHIEF, MARCH 1992 THROUGH MARCH 1995, MR. AYCOCK'S SUPERIOR MANAGERIAL SKILLS KEPT THE DIVISION OPERATING AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY AND PROVIDED CONTINUITY THROUGH SEVERAL PERIODS OF HEIGHTENED OPERATIONAL ACTIVITY AND MILITARY PERSONNEL TURBULENCE AND SHORTAGES. HE LED THE DIVISION DURING SOME OF USASOC'S OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE OPERATIONS, WHICH INCLUDED, OPERATIONS SUPPORT HOPE, SEA SIGNAL, SAFE HAVEN, AND UPHOLD DEMOCRACY. HIS SUPERB SUPERVISORY SKILLS ENABLED HIM TO GUIDE, MENTOR, AND PULL DIVERSE PERSONALITIES TOGETHER FOR A COMMON PURPOSE. PREVIOUSLY, AS DEPUTY PLANS CHIEF (JUNE 1990 TO FEBRUARY 1992), MR. AYCOCK LED THE COMMAND'S NIGHT CRISIS ACTION TEAM IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION DESERT SHIELD. HE PRODUCED THE MACOM'S PLAN FOR PROTRACTED ARSOF SUPPORT OF DESERT SHIELD AND PRESENTED IT TO THE COMMANDING GENERAL FOR HIS APPROVAL IN A DECISION BRIEF. AFTER THE HOSTILITIES, HE WAS ONE OF A FEW CHOSEN TO SERVE IN THE TEAM FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE COMMAND. IN HIS INITIAL FEDERAL CIVILIAN POSITION AS WRITER-EDITOR IN THE USAJFKSWCS, MR. AYCOCK CREATED THE RESERVE COMPONENT, RESIDENT/NON-RESIDENT, SPECIAL FORCES NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER ADVANCED COURSE PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION AND INTRODUCED IT TO THE FIELD. HIS EXTENSIVE PRIOR SPECIAL FORCES DUTY WITH THE 1st, 5TH, 7TH 11T11, 12TH, AND 20TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUPS (AIRBORNE), USAIMA, 1s1 SOCOM, AND USAJFKSWCS, AND HIS VIETNAM SERVICE WITH THE 5TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP (AIRBORNE) AS A MACV-SOG EXPLOITATION (HATCHET) FORCE PLATOON LEADER AND AS A PROVINCIAL RECONNAISSANCE UNIT ADVISOR IN THE MACV-CSD PHOENIX PROGRAM ATTEST TO HIS FIDELITY TO THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS CAUSE. MR. AYCOCK'S ABILITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, COUPLED WITH HIS UNWAVERING PROFESSIONALISM, SET THE STANDARD FOR HIS SUBORDINATES TO EMULATE. HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS COMMAND COULD NOT HAVE BEEN EQUALLED BY OTHERS OF SIMILAR GRADE AND EXPERIENCE. HE HAS EASILY EXCEEDED THE REQUIREMENTS OF ALL THE POSITIONS THAT HE HAS HELD. HIS PERFORMANCE OF DUTY HAS CLEARLY BEEN EXCEPTIONAL AND HIS SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS WERE UNPRECEDEN'T'ED. MR. AYCOCK'S OUTSTANDING SERVICE REFLECTS GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF, THIS COMMAND, THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND THE FEDERAL CIVILIAN SERVICE.