Colonel (Ret.) James L. “Hawk” Holloway
U.S. Army Special Forces Regiment.
Honorary Colonel of the Special Forces Regiment.
Colonel James L. “Hawk” Holloway Jr. is a former Honorary Colonel of the Special Forces Regiment. Colonel Holloway is a native of Ohio. Upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1977, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry. Following the Infantry Officer Basic Course and Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga., COL Holloway’s first assignment was with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. There he served as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader and company executive officer. After the Infantry Officer’s Advanced Course, he was assigned as a Ranger Instructor at the Florida Ranger Camp, Camp James E. Rudder, Eglin Air Force Base.
In 1984, he returned to Fort Benning to command Co. D, 10th Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Brigade. In 1986, COL Holloway graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Devens, Mass., where he served as an alpha detachment commander and company commander in the 3rd Battalion, 10th SFG (A). Upon completion of the Armed Forces Staff College in 1990, Col. Holloway was assigned to the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., where he served in the J3 as an operations staff officer, responsible for special operations forces destructive capabilities.
In 1993, COL Holloway was assigned to the 5th SFG (A) at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he served first as the 1st Battalion’s executive officer and then as the deputy group commander. During this tour, he deployed to Somalia in support of Operation Continue Hope. In 1995, COL Holloway assumed command of the Jungle Operations Training Battalion, Fort Sherman, Panama. His next assignment was as the Chief, Special Operations Coordinating Element at III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas. In 1998, he served as the Chief of Current Operations, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. In 2000, he attended the Naval War College at Newport, R.I., where he completed graduate studies and was awarded a master of arts in national security and strategic studies.
From 2001 until 2003, COL Holloway was the 5th Brigade (ROTC) Commander at Fort Bragg. In July 2003, Holloway became the Deputy Chief of Staff: G3, United States Army Special Operations Command, where he served until July 2005. He then assumed the duties of Deputy Director, USASOC Futures Center. In March 2006, COL Holloway volunteered for an assignment in Iraq and served as the Commander, 1st National Police Division Transition Team until January 2007.
COL Holloway’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the United Nations Medal (Somalia), Combat Infantryman Badge with Star, Expert Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Pathfinder Badge and Air Assault Badge. He was awarded the Austrian High Alpine Badge and parachute wings from Portugal, Canada and Australia.
Since his retirement on July 31, 2007, COL Holloway has continued to serve on the Advisory Council for the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum Association. He has served on the Board of Directors and now serves on the Board of Advisors for the Green Beret Foundation.