In his capacity as the State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Dell L. Dailey helped oversee the Technical Support Working Group. A native of Flandreau, South Dakota, Dailey has held his current position since June 2007. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1971 and earned a master's degree in public administration from Shippensburg University in 1994.

 

Dailey served more than 36 years in the US Army, reaching the rank of Lieutenant General as the Director of the Center for Special Operations (CSO), US Special Operations Command, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. His duties involved participation in major military operations such as Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Uphold Democracy, Joint Guardian, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

 

Within the Special Operations community, Dailey is revered by many for his leadership and willingness to lead top-secret missions when officers of similar rank usually stay out of harm’s way. During Operation Desert Storm, Dailey, then a lieutenant colonel, led a Night Stalkers mission deep inside Iraq in order to gather soil samples needed for the US Army to determine if American tanks might get stuck during the planned assault. Dailey’s decision to personally command the mission was called “unheard of.”

 

Dailey also was praised and criticized for his leadership during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Although his planning helped the US effectively insert its Special Operations units into the country, Dailey came under fire for not deploying more troops in the unsuccessful hunt to capture Osama bin Laden.

 

The Night Stalkers–Secret U.S. Special Ops Commando Pilots: When it's mission impossible, they call in the Night Stalkers, the flying commandos of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. (by Frank Colucci, Popular Mechanics)

Dell Dailey: Soldier, Counterterrorism Warrior (by Robin Wright, Washington Post)

An 'All Elements of Power' Strategy for Combating Terrorism: featuring Ambassador Dell Dailey (Washington Institute for Near East Policy)