VAdm Harward New No. 2 At Centcom

Posted May 4, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated May 4, 2011 at 02:44 PM

Now that Centcom’s deputy, Marine Lt. Gen. John R. Allen has officially been named to his new post, there’s a new No. 2 at Centcom.

Navy Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward Jr. selected for reappointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as Centcom’s deputy commander, according to the DoD.

Harward is currently serving as commander, Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435, Afghanistan.

Harward’s official bio:

Vice Adm. Harward assumed command of Joint Task Force 435 in November 2009.  JTF 435 achieved Initial Operations Capability Jan. 7, 2010 and transitioned to Combined Joint Interagency Task Force (CJIATF) 435 on Sept. 1, 2010.  As the task force commander, Harward has control, oversight, and responsibility for U.S. detention and correction operations in Afghanistan.  With policy guidance from the office of Secretary of Defense, the U.S. Embassy, and in cooperation with Afghan, interagency, coalition, and international counterparts, CJIATF 435 assists the government of Afghanistan as it builds capacity to enable the responsible transition of self-sustaining Afghan National Detention and Rule of Law institutions that are compliant with Afghan and international law.

Harward qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard the destroyer USS Scott (DDG 995) and then transferred to the Naval Special Warfare community.  He was the “Honor Man” of Basic Underwater Demolition (BUD)/Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) class 128, and has served in both east and west coast SEAL teams.

Tours in the Naval Special Warfare community include commander, SEAL Team Three; team leader and operations officer at Naval Special Warfare Development Group; SEAL plans officer for Commander, Amphibious Force U.S. 7th Fleet; executive officer, Naval Special Warfare Unit One; aide-de-camp to Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) deputy commander in Bosnia; deputy commander Special Operations Command, Pacific; commander, Naval Special Warfare Group ONE, and deputy commanding general, Joint Special Operations Command.  Harward has commanded troops in Afghanistan and Iraq for more than six years since Sept. 11, 2001.

Assignments outside of his community include a tour in the executive office of the President at the White House where he served on the National Security Council as the director of Strategy and Policy for the office of Combating Terrorism.  His first flag assignment was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the Senior Interagency Strategy Team where he assisted with the establishment of the National Counterterrorism Center in Washington, D.C.  Most recently Harward served as deputy commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Harward was born in Newport, R.I., grew up in a Navy family and graduated from the Tehran American High School in Iran.  After enlisting in the Navy, he was awarded a fleet appointment to the United States Naval Academy where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1979. Harward attended the College of Naval Command and Staff, the Naval Staff College and the Armed Forces Staff College. He holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Strategic Security Affairs, served as a federal executive fellow at Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School, and is an alumni of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for International Studies, Seminar XXI.