Colonel Charles E. Harris III
Colonel Charles E. “Chuck” Harris III assumed duties on September 1, 2011, as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). COL Harris serves as TRADOC’s primary staff officer responsible for communications, information technology, and information management.
COL Harris came to TRADOC after serving as an executive officer and staff officer for the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation under the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon. Serving in this capacity, provided operational test and evaluation oversight over Department of Defense (DoD) Command and Control Systems and conducted cyber defense and interoperability performance assessments of the Combatant Commands and Services.
Colonel Harris, a native of Baltimore, Maryland enlisted in the U.S. Army with the Maryland Army National Guard while in high school in 1981. Upon completion of initial entry training, he attended studies and participated in the Reserve Officers Training Corps program at Morgan State University in Baltimore, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science. In 1987, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a Second Lieutenant and was honored as the University’s outstanding graduate in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Military Science. COL Harris also holds a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Science Degree in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
COL Harris’ early assignments as a Signal Corps officer include Communications Platoon Leader, 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division, Korea; Chief, Battlefield Automated Systems, U.S. Army Computer Science School, Fort Gordon, Georgia; Command and Control Systems Staff Officer, Battle Command Battle Lab, Fort Gordon, Georgia; Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 67th Signal Battalion, Fort Gordon, Georgia; and Captains Assignment Officer, U.S. Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, Virginia. In 1999, COL Harris was designated as a U.S. Army Systems Automation Officer (Functional Area 53 Officer). As a Systems Automation Officer, he has served at the tactical through strategic levels, to include serving as the Tactical Automation Officer for the 25th Infantry Division (Light), the network and data center manager for the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, and the lead Department of the Army, Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6 staff officer responsible for establishing the DoD web portal - Defense Knowledge On-Line.
COL Harris’ military education includes the Signal Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the DoD CIO Certification Course, the DoD Information Assurance Certification Course, and the Industrial College of The Armed Forces.
COL Harris’ military decorations and awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (5 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Staff Identification Badge, Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, and the Army Parachutist and Air Assault Badges.