Harold J. Greene

Harold J. Greene
A photograph of a grinning man in a United States Army uniform. Behind the man are two separate flags that comprise the background, one being the national flag of the United States of America and the other being the personal standard of a United States Army major general.
Greene in 2012
Nickname(s)"Harry"[1]
Born(1959-02-11)February 11, 1959[2]
Boston, Massachusetts, United States[3]
DiedAugust 5, 2014(2014-08-05) (aged 55)
Camp Qargha, Kabul, Afghanistan
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1980–2014[4][5]
RankMajor General[6]
CommandsNatick Soldier Systems Center
Battles / warsWar in Afghanistan †
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal[7]
Legion of Merit (4)[8]
Purple Heart[8][N 1]
Spouse(s)Sue Myers (wife)[3]
Children2

Harold Joseph "Harry" Greene (February 11, 1959 – August 5, 2014) was an American military officer. During his time with the United States Army, he held various commands associated with engineering and logistical support for American and coalition troops in Afghanistan. At the time of his death, he was the deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command.

In August 2014, at the rank of major general, Greene became the highest-ranking American service member to have been killed by hostile action since Lieutenant General Timothy Maude was killed in the September 11 attacks in 2001, and also the highest-ranking service member to have been killed on foreign soil during a conflict since Rear Admiral Rembrandt C. Robinson was killed during the Vietnam War in May 1972.[9][10] To date, Greene is the highest-ranking American fatality of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.[11]

While at Camp Qargha in Kabul, Greene and a delegation of general officers and other dignitaries were conducting an inspection tour when 22-year-old Private Rafiqullah of the Afghan National Army (ANA) opened fire on the group, killing Greene and wounding 14 NATO and ANA personnel. The assailant was then shot dead by two NATO service members. A subsequent investigation indicated that Rafiqullah had carried out the fragging due to his irritation and unhappiness over being denied leave to travel home during Eid al-Fitr.

Greene's body was flown back to the United States, arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on August 7, 2014. A week later, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

  1. ^ Pearce, Matt; Cloud, David S. (August 5, 2014). "Slain U.S. Maj. Gen. Harold Greene remembered for brilliance, humor". Los Angeles Times. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  2. ^ NSSC This Week remembers Major General Harold Greene Archived September 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, p. 24
  3. ^ a b Yusko, Dennis (August 6, 2014). "Father of major general killed in Afghanistan: 'Something is missing'". Albany Times-Union. Albany, New York: Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  4. ^ "Army Maj. Gen. Harold Greene killed in Afghanistan". CNN. August 5, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  5. ^ "Insider attack victim identified as Maj. Gen. Harold Greene". Army Times. August 5, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  6. ^ "Major General Harold J. Greene — Deputy for Acquisitions and Systems Management Headquarters, Department of the Army" (PDF). Washington, D.C. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  7. ^ "Army General Officer Killed in Afghanistan". Army.mil. Washington, DC. August 6, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Lin, C.J. (August 14, 2014). "Maj. Gen. Harold Greene receives full burial honors at Arlington". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  9. ^ Rosenberg, Matthew; Kakaraug, Haris (August 5, 2014). "U.S. General Is Killed in Attack at Afghan Base, Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  10. ^ "Maj. Gen. Harold Greene Is Highest Ranking Soldier Killed Since Vietnam". ABC News. August 5, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  11. ^ "Major General Harold Greene killed in Afghanistan attack; highest ranking officer killed in combat since 1970". WJLA.com. Associated Press. August 5, 2014. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.


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