PAC Leadership

Col. Barry Carlson (Ret.)

PAC Director

Barry Carlson enlisted in 1986. He spent five years with the 3rd Armored Division and the 101st Airborne, including combat duty in Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer out of Florida State University in 1995, and spent the next three decades where the work was hardest.

He led in airborne, Stryker, and mechanized formations –  the 1st Armored Division, the 82nd Airborne, and the 5/2 Stryker Brigade at Fort Lewis. He served on the IFOR mission in Bosnia, jumped into the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 82nd Airborne, led a Transition Team in Iraq’s Diyala Province, and ran operations as a Battalion S3 in Afghanistan.

Between deployments, he trained the force. As an Observer/Controller at the National Training Center and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, he prepared combat units for the fights ahead. From 2013 to 2015, he commanded the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment.

He earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, then moved into senior strategy: J33 at U.S. Africa Command, Deputy Program Manager for a $30 billion U.S. security cooperation program with the Saudi Arabia National Guard, and J35 Future Operations Division Chief at U.S. Southern Command.

He retired in January 2024.

The Record

  • 33 years of service - enlisted soldier to Colonel
  • Combat deployments across the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan
  • Battalion commander; infantry officer in airborne, Stryker, and mechanized units
  • Combat-force trainer at two major training centers
  • Strategic leadership at USAFRICOM and USSOUTHCOM

Decorations

  • Defense Superior Service Medal
  • 3x Bronze Star Medal Recipient
  • Combat Infantryman Badge
  • Army Parachutist Badge
  • Air Assault Badge

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