Our Board of Directors includes 10 retired Special Forces senior officers and non-commissioned officers. Each Board Member is experienced, active, and constantly engaged in the strategy of the Green Beret Foundation.
Major General James G. “Greg” Champion began his military service in 1978. He was commissioned as an Infantry officer following completion of Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. General Champion has held every 18 series leadership position an officer can hold in a Special Forces Group including Battalion and Group command. He was the Assistant to the Director Army National Guard for Deployment Issues and was the Director’s principle advisor on deployment for the Army National Guard forces with emphasis on the Global War on Terrorism and Homeland Security. In that position, General Champion was responsible for Army National Guard issues related to the deployment of forces to the southwest border. While serving as Commander, 20th Special Forces Group, he commanded the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A), Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom III.
Subsequent to this first tour in Afghanistan, General Champion was Deputy Commanding General, Operations, Combined Joint Task Force 76, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, where he oversaw all aspects of the plans, operations and intelligence collection and managed the Afghanistan-Pakistan border security process.
His major Awards and Decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star (w/OLC) ; Meritorious Service Medal (w/OLC); Army Commendation Medal; Global War on Terrorism – Expeditionary Medal ; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Master Parachutist Badge; Special Forces Tab; Combat Infantryman Badge; Expert Infantryman Badge
Today MG Champion serves as the Joint Venture and Commercial Activities Manager, Pioneer Natural Resources, Eagle Ford Asset Team. He is responsible for partner interaction related to commercial activities and negotiations, and works closely with land, legal and marketing in negotiating and advising on commercial activities of the Eagle Ford Asset Team.
CSM(R) Christopher R. Zets entered the Army in April of 1978 for direct assignment to Special Forces. He completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in January of 1979 and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces at Fort Bragg, NC.
In 1984 he was reassigned to 3d Bn, 7th Special Forces Group in Panama, and returned to Ft. Bragg in 1988 to serve as an instructor in the Special Warfare Center and School. He returned to 7th Group in 1992 as a Team Sergeant at Ft. Bragg and returned again to Panama in 1993.
After promotion to Sergeant Major in 1997 and completion of the Sergeants Major Academy, he returned again to the 7th Group with assignments as a Company Sergeant Major, Battalion Operations Sergeant Major, and Group Operations Sergeant Major. Upon his appointment to Command Sergeant Major in September 2001, CSM(R) Zets was assigned to 3d Bn, 3d SFG(A) and deployed with his Battalion to both Afghanistan and Iraq.
He was then assigned as the CSM for the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at Camp Mackall, NC overseeing the expansion and transition of the field portion of the Special Forces Qualification Course. In October 2006, he assumed duties as the Group Command Sergeant Major for the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) where he completed two rotations to Afghanistan as the CJSOTF-A Command Sergeant Major.
He retired in 2008 after over 30 years of service, and he continues to serve the community as the Senior Advisor to USASOC for the JIEDDO Counter-IED Operations/Intelligence Integration Center. He was an original member of the Board of Directors for the Green Beret Foundation, and also served two years on the National Board of Officers for the Special Forces Association.
Gary Jones has 28 years military special operations experience with extensive operational expertise in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, the Caribbean, Central America and the Middle East. Some of the milestones of his exceptional military career include Commander 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne); Deputy Commanding General United States Army Special Operations Command; Deputy Director Central Intelligence Agency Counter-Terrorism Center, Deputy Commander Combined Joint Task Force-Mountain during Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan; Commanding General Special Operations Europe; and Commanding General U.S. Army Special Forces Command.
After his years of military service, General Jones served as Senior Vice President for Performance Materials, Inc., a company providing innovative armor solutions for the Department of Defense; as Senior Vice President of Saffron Technology, an innovative Software Company providing state of the art analytical support to the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community; and as President of Myrmidon Consulting, LLC, he has provided consulting support to U.S. Special Operations Command as a senior mentor to the Unified Quest series exercises, and to the Joint Chiefs of Staff J7 for Irregular Warfare doctrinal review. General Jones is an alumnus of Louisiana State University where he earned a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice and is a graduate of the Army War College and the Conflict Management and Negotiation programs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Gary “Mike” Jones currently serves as the President of Gryphon Group and is recognized as a proven, experienced-forged senior leader in military and international affairs.
Colonel (retired) Jim Holloway is a native of Ohio and a 1977 graduate of the United States Military Academy where he was commissioned in the Infantry. He served over 30 years in the US Army with 21 of those years as a Special Forces Officer. He served in the 10th and 5th Special Forces Groups, USSOCOM, JSOC and USASOC. He was the last SF Officer to command the Jungle School in Panama.
His combat experience included Somalia and Iraq. Jim is a Life Member of the Special Forces Association and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. He also serves as a member of the Special Warfare Museum Advisory Council. He now resides in east Tennessee when not working in Afghanistan as the Regional Manager for World Wide Language Resources, Inc. COL(R) Holloway has two sons and a son-in-law currently serving in the US Army.
Johnny C. Strain has 27 years of military and special operations experience with extensive operational expertise in Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East.
Some of the milestones of his career include Operational Detachment Alpha 176 Team Leader in 3d Batallion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Deputy Commanding Officer U.S. Army Special Forces Command, Team Leader/Combat Advisor National Border Transition Team Iraq Assistance Group, Director Advisor Directorate Officer of Military Cooperation-Kuwait, Commander Detachment 3 Joint Task Force-Full Accounting/Joint Prisoners of War Missing in Action Accounting Command Vientiane Lao PDR, and Commander of 4th Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group.
He a graduate of the Command and General Staff Collage and the Army War College, and many other course and schools during his military career.
Since retiring, Johnny has been involved the Arkansas Forestry Industry, where he established and facilitates a leadership program for select personnel. He currently works in the USA and overseas for TechWise Global, and remains actively involved in fund raising for programs which aid wounded Soldiers and the families of the fallen.
CSM Dennison began his military service as a Heavy Weapons Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division and since has served in a variety of assignments around the world, some of those being 8th Infantry Division as a Combat Engineer Squad Leader, and Atomic Demolition Team Chief.
In 1965 he was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Intel Sergeant), 5th Special Forces Group (Intel Sergeant), 7th Special Forces Group (Team Sergeant), and USA Special Forces Thailand (Military Freefall Detachment).
From 1976 to 1983 he served in the conventional Army at the unit and Battalion level, Reserve components Reserve Officer Instructor Group where he was selected as the first Enlisted Commandant of Cadets in the Second ROTC Region.
He returned to Special Forces as Team Sergeant, Military Freefall Detachment, 7th Special Forces Group, and later as Sergeant Major Company A, 2nd Battalion 7th Special Group. Other assignments, CSM 802nd Engineer Battalion, CSM 3rd Battalion, 4th ADA Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, CSM 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, and CSM 5th Special Forces Group during the Groups move to Fort Campbell Kentucky.
CSM Dennison returned to Fort Bragg and assumed the position of CSM 1st Special Operations Command which became United States Army Special Forces Command. CSM Dennison culminated his military career as the Command Sergeant Major, Special Operations Command Central during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Upon retirement CSM (R) Dennison continued to serve our country as a Contractor for the US Department of State Diplomatic Security Branch from 1994 to 2001.During his time with the State Department, CSM Dennison was a member of the Detail that repatriated President John Batrand Aristide back in office as President of Haiti. In 1996 CSM Dennison remained in Hati to provide protection for the new President of Haiti, Rene Proval. In 1997 CSM Dennison was selected to provide protection for US Ambassador Robert Frowick in Bosnia during the elections of the three warring factions.
In 2003 he returned to Special Operations as a Department of the Army civilian Training Specialist Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, United States Army Special Operations Command. CSM (R) Dennison recently ended his 45 years of service, retiring as Lead Force Protection Specialist, United States Army Special Operations Command.
CSM Dennison’s military education includes the Sergeants Major Academy, Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Special Forces Qualification Course, Combat Engineer Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Airborne School, Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Military Freefall Course, Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course, Special Forces Operations and Intelligence Course, Special Forces Weapons Sergeants Course, Atomic Demolitions Munitions Course, French and Chinese Language Courses.
CSM Dennison’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (1OLC), Bronze Star with (“V” Device, 2nd OLC), Meritorious Service (3OLC), Army Commendation Medal (W4OLC), Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal (10th Award), Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry With Palm, Vietnam Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Special Forces Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Master Military Freefall Badge, Pathfinder Badge, and Parachute Wings from ten countries.
CSM Dennison is presently serving as the Honorary Sergeant Major of the 1st Special Forces Regiment. CSM Dennison resides in Fayetteville NC.
Command Sergeant Major (R) Denzil L. Ames is a native of San Diego, California and entered the United States Army in 1976. CSM(R) Ames’ initial assignment was with Service Company, 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, NC.
Upon completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1979, he was assigned to a Military Freefall Detachment in Company C, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. While assigned on this Detachment he served in positions as the Junior and Senior Medical Sergeant and culminating his tour as Team Sergeant.
In September 1988, he was reassigned to the Noncommissioned Officer Academy, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, Fort Bragg, NC as a Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course Small Group Leader. He later held the positions of Chief of Operations; Advance Noncommissioned Officer Course Chief Instructor; and Assistant Commandant.
CSM(R) Ames was reassigned in August 1992 to ODA 314, Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, NC as a Team Sergeant. Upon completion of the Sergeants Major Academy in January 1995 he was reassigned to Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, United States Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, NC as the Operations Sergeant Major.
. In May 1996 he was appointed as the CSM of 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). From October 1998 to July 2000 he served as the Command Sergeant Major of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). CSM(R) Ames' culminated over 30 years of service with Special Forces as the Command Sergeant Major of the United States Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC.
Following his retirement CSM(R) Ames served two years as a contractor for the Joint Forces Command with duty at the United States Army Special Operations Command. During this time he served as the Joint National Training Capability - Support Element facilitating the integration of ARSOF with conventional forces in preparation for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, CSM(R) Ames continues to serve Army Special Operations Forces as a Department of the Army Civilian working in the USASOC, G35 Plans Division as a Plans Officer.
Bruce Parkman is the Chief Executive Officer of NEK Advanced Securities Group, a privately held, mid-size company with approximately $100 Million in revenues, supporting one of the most diverse bases of clients in the defense contracting industry.
Mr. Parkman was born in Massachusetts and entered the Army in 1980. He spent 21 years in the service, three years as an infantryman and 18 years in Special Forces serving in a variety of assignments in 7th and 10th Special Forces Groups and with the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, before retiring in 2001 as a Sergeant Major. During this time, he traveled to numerous countries in Europe and Latin America including serving in the El Salvadoran and Kosovo actions. After retirement he served as a contractor in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and used his experience as a contractor to start NEK Advanced Securities Group, Inc. in Albuquerque, New Mexico which was recently relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Under his and the co-owner’s leadership and guidance, the Company has grown to become the industry standard in the provision of training and support services to the government and commercial clients, to include technical training, specialized support services and aviation maintenance and support.
His military awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Badge, SCUBA badge, and the Special Forces Tab as well as Honduran and Ecuadorian Airborne badges.
Mr. Parkman graduated from Methodist College with honors (Summa Cum Laude) receiving a B.S. in Business Administration and from Webster University with a M.A. in Security Administration.
John Terzian is a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant with over 22 years of service. His last active duty assignment was as an Operations Sergeant for a Special Forces Detachment, where he supervised the training, development, and world- wide operations of a Special Forces team. In this capacity, he led two team deployments to Afghanistan.
His awards include the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Afghanistan, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. MSG (Ret) Terzian is currently the CEO of Reservoir International, where he oversees the development of advanced methodology in regards to Unconventional Warfare and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Operations. He has published several articles on these subjects and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in general education and business.
Aaron Anderson enlisted in the Army following the events of September 11, 2001. He served in the U.S. Army Special Forces for 6 years as a detachment engineer. Due to traumatic wounds sustained during a deployment in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Aaron was medically retired in 2008. Aaron mentored fellow wounded Special Operation Forces personnel through the USSOCOM Care Coalition Recovery Program.
In 2008, Aaron founded Archangel, a company that specializes in security analysis throughout Critical Infrastructure with operations in the South Western U.S. and Central America. Most recently the Company has shifted its focus to defense technologies in the field of nano-technology.
In 2009, Aaron founded the Green Beret Foundation where he currently serves on the Board of Directors.
Aaron is currently seeking his bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of California, Irvine.