Harry Harris Session Overview

Admiral Harry Harris is the former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea (2018-2021) and former Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (2015-2018). Prior to this, he commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. SIXTH Fleet, Striking and Support Forces NATO, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ONE, and VP-46. He has served in every geographic combatant command region and participated in major operations that included S.S. Achille Lauro terrorist hijacking incident, Attain Document (Libya 1986), Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Odyssey Dawn (Libya 2011). Harris’s other assignments included serving as aide to the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, chief speechwriter for the Chairman of the JCS, Director of Operations for U.S. FIFTH Fleet, Director of Operations for U.S. Southern Command, Deputy CNO for Communications Networks, and Director of Current Operations and Anti-terrorism/Force Protection Policy. In 2011, he was the direct representative of the Chairman of the JCS to the Secretary of State with additional duties as the U.S. roadmap monitor for the Mid-East Peace Process (Oslo Accords).  A 1999-2000 Seminar XXI Fellow, he holds Master's degrees from Harvard and Georgetown, and also studied at Oxford University.  Harris has logged over 4,400 flight hours, including more than 400 combat hours, in maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. He has received numerous awards including two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, three Navy Distinguished Service Medals, two Bronze Stars, the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, several national awards recognizing his work in diversity, and two CIA awards -- the Agency Seal Medal and the Ambassador's Award.  He has been decorated by the governments of Australia, France, Japan, the Philippines, Mongolia, Singapore, and South Korea.