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Gary C. Schroen is a former Central Intelligence Agency field officer who was in charge of the initial CIA incursion into Afghanistan in September 2001 to topple the Taliban regime and destroy Al Qaeda. Schroen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. His experience in the U.S. Marine Corps and high grades in college made him a perfect candidate for the CIA. Schroen worked with the Agency for over 30 years, rising from case officer to Deputy Chief, Near East Division, Directorate of Operations in 1999, a post he held through 2001. During his career, Schroen served in numerous posts, including Station Chief in Kabul, Afghanistan but working out of Pakistan in the late 1980s. From 1992-1994, Schroen worked at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, controlling Iranian operations. Schroen was the chief of station in Islamabad, Pakistan from 1996 until mid-1999. In this period, he directed CIA operations attempting to find and capture Osama bin Laden, and began renewing relationships with the Mujahideen commanders who had fought the Soviets in the Soviet-Afghan War. His experiences in Afghanistan prior to September 11th were chronicled in Steve Coll's Pulitzer Prize winning book, "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, From the Soviet Invastion to September 10, 2001".
Although he was planning on retiring, Schroen was recalled immediately after the September 11th attacks to lead a CIA team into Afghanistan. The seven-officer team, which included renowned covert operative Billy Waugh and ODA 555 of the Special Forces, was flown into Afghanistan on September 26, and began securing support amongst the Northern Alliance before US military forces landed. He has since written the book First In, which describes his recent Afghan experiences.
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[edit] References
- PBS Frontline - The Dark Side: Interview with Gary C. Schroen transcript
- Gary Schroen, First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan, Presidio Press (May 10, 2005) ISBN 0-89141-872-5.
- Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 Penguin Press HC, The (February 23, 2004) ISBN 1-59420-007-6.
- Michael Smith, "Killer Elite", St. Martin's Press, (March, 2007) ISBN-13:978-0-312-36272-0
- Green Berets outfought, outthought the Taliban USA Today January 6, 2002
- SOF Laser Marker (SOFLAM)
- Air Strike Coordinators Need Lighter Equipment February 2003
