Admiral Robert Harward is one of history's most accomplished US Navy SEALs. 

After graduating from the US Naval Academy, his NSW career began when he graduated with BUD/S class 128 in 1984 and joined SEAL Team Three, where he served as a platoon commander. From there, he screened for NSW Development Group, the US Navy’s tier-one unit, known at the time as SEAL Team Six, where he served as an assault team leader and operations officer. 

He earned his master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Then he served as the task group commander during Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait, the Joint Special Operations Task Force commander for Operation Rugged Nautilus, the deputy commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Bosnia, the Special Warfare Plans Officer for the Commander of Amphibious Forces in the U.S. Seventh Fleet; USSOCOM Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief; then as the Executive Officer of NSW Unit ONE and as the commanding officer of SEAL Team Three.

Admiral Harward assumed command of NSW Group One in August of 2001 and deployed to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks. He commanded a multi-national task force named Task Force K-Bar and directed special reconnaissance and direct action missions throughout the country.

The following year, he deployed to Iraq as the commander of Task Force 561, where he commanded NSW Task Group Central. The forces at his command there included not just all the assets in the Naval Special Warfare but also forces from the Polish GROM, the UK Royal Marines, and the Kuwaiti Navy.

In 2003, he left NSW Group One and reported to the Executive Office of the President at the White House, where he served on the National Security Council as the Director of Strategy and Defense Issues.

He went to the newly created National Counterterrorism Center in Washington from the White House.

Then, he served as the deputy commanding general of JSOC, the Joint Special Operations Command, at Fort Bragg and did several more combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2008, he assumed the role of deputy commander of the United States Joint Forces Command.

Finally, in 2011, at the rank of Vice Admiral, he was assigned the role of Deputy Commander of USCENTCOM before retiring in November 2013. 

After his retirement, Admiral Harward became the chief executive of Lockheed Martin in the UAE.

He is currently the executive vice president for International Business and Strategy for Shield AI, an AI-focused Defense Company. 

In this episode, we talk with Admiral Harward about his career in Naval Special Warfare, his advice for young leaders in the military, and the evolution of warfare as artificial intelligence takes a greater role on the battlefield. 

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Intro to Admiral Bob Harward

00:05:03 Younger Career

00:10:30 Going Officer or Enlisted

00:14:06 Becoming a Good Leader

00:15:34 Advice for Aspiring Special Operators  

00:21:13 Always be Prepared for War

00:23:38 Well-Educated Warriors

00:26:46 Comparison of SOF Units Around the World

00:30:00 China and the US

00:31:33 The Role of A.I.

00:34:31 Half of Our Potential

00:36:54 Best and Worst Advice 

00:39:16 Outro