Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. retired from the US Army after nearly 35 years of service, having served as a Special Forces Officer commanding for 30 years at every level in the US Army Special Forces. Edward was the Commanding General of the US Army Special Forces Command, overseeing 15,000 soldiers with a $450M operating budget, and was responsible for manning, training, equipping, and deploying the US Army Green Berets daily in 56 countries. He also served as the Commanding General of the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and oversaw the entry-level training of the US Army Special Forces, Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs, and the select advanced training throughout the US Special Operations community.
Edward’s experience in military operations includes serving as National Civil Defense Advisor for El Salvador in 1988, organizing, training, and equipping a local defense force of 58,000 and commanding Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 786 as well as providing support for Operation Just Cause under Task Force Black for Panama in 1989. As part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Edward commanded Special Operations Task Force 32 in 2002 and 2003, oversaw all US Army Special Operations in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and served as the Commanding General of the first Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. At various points while serving in Afghanistan, Edward also oversaw the special operations of the UAE, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, the Netherlands and Jordan. From 2014 to 2015, he also served as the Commanding General of the Special Operations Joint Task Force/ NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom Sentinel, over- seeing 12,500 service members from 21 countries with an operating budget of $1.3 billion.