Greene, Harold Joseph
Male
Verified Major General Harold Joseph Greene, 55, of Schenectady, New York, was a senior U.S. Army officer. He was killed in a shooting at a military training academy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 5, 2014.
Their Story
Harold Joseph Greene was a major general in the United States Army. A career officer and engineer, he held a doctorate in materials science and served in various acquisition and logistics roles. At the time of his death, he was assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, a unit responsible for training and advising Afghan security forces.
On August 5, 2014, Greene was visiting the Marshal Fahim National Defense University, a military training academy on the outskirts of Kabul. A man in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on a group of coalition officers. Greene was shot and killed. The attack, reportedly carried out by a lone gunman, also wounded about 15 other people, including a German brigadier general and several American troops.
The attack occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2014, the mission had largely shifted from direct combat to training and advising Afghan national forces as part of a planned transition. Insider attacks, known as 'green-on-blue' incidents, were a documented and persistent threat to coalition personnel during this period.
The Pentagon confirmed Greene's death the same day. He was the highest-ranking U.S. officer to be killed by hostile fire in the Afghanistan war since 1970, and the most senior American military officer killed in combat since the Vietnam War. His body was returned to the United States in a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base.
Greene was posthumously promoted to major general. He is remembered within the Army for his technical expertise and his role in supporting the Afghan security forces. A building at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was later dedicated in his name.
Explore Further
Harold Greene was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
