Director

LTG(R) Cleveland is a member of the Advisory Board for Itility, LLC, Gantz Mountain Automated Intelligence Systems, Inc., Zignals Labs, and on the Board for VK Integrated Systems. He is on the Board of Advisors for the nonprofit organizations the OSS Society and Spirit of America. He serves as a Senior Mentor and Highly Qualified Expert for the U.S. Army and an Adjunct at the Rand Corporation. He regularly lectures at Notre Dame’s Mendoza Business School, the Naval Post Graduate School, the National War College, and the Army War College. He co-authored Military Strategy in the 21 st Century, (Cambria, 2018) and The American Way of Irregular War, (Rand, 2020). Appointed in 2019 by the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee to the NDAA directed Syria Study Group.

At the time of his retirement in 2015, he had completed three years as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Previous positions were as Commander, Special Operations Command-Central (USCENTCOM) 2008-2011, and Commander, Special Operations Command-South (USSOUTHCOM) 2005-2008. He commanded the 10 th Special Forces Group (Airborne) 2001-2003 where he also commanded Task Force Viking, the 65,000 strong Coalition Force in Northern Iraq, during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.

His various senior leader positions in the Army included leading both operational and institutional commands charged with the preparation and execution of budgets of over $2B/year. In 2012 he successfully carved over $250M from the command budget while simultaneously setting the command on a ten-year modernization program. His ARSOF 2022 initiatives at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command provided a foundation for American irregular warfare doctrine and reenergized U.S Unconventional Warfare capabilities. He has also been the Chief of Personnel for the U.S. Army’s Special Forces Officer Branch; Special Forces Battalion Commander; Special Operations Action Officer on the Joint Staff in Washington D.C.; Special Forces Company and Detachment Commander assigned to 7 th Special Forces Group in Panama, Counterintelligence Company Commander in Germany. He began his Army career in the Green Berets with 10 th Special Forces Group at Ft Devens, MA.

His notable operational experience includes hostage rescue operations in Colombia (2005-2008), counternarcotic operations in Bolivia (1987), counterinsurgency training in El Salvador (1987-1988), Venezuela (1988), Operation Just Cause – the 1989 U.S. overthrow of the regime in Panama, Peacekeeping in Bosnia (1995-1997), and Kosovo (2001), and counterterrorism campaign development and leadership in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Pakistan (2008-2011).

The proud son of a career Army NCO and a 1978 graduate of West Point. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and Army War College. Armed Forces Staff College. His military awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (Second Award) and the Distinguished Service Medal and the Bronze Star. He speaks good Spanish and passable German.

He has been married to Mary Ann for 41 years. They have three grown children.