Col. John H. Mcardle (ret.)
Secretary of the board
John McArdle was born 30 July 1955 in San Antonio, Texas.
He was a distinguished military graduate from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1977 and received a Regular Army commission in the Infantry. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in General Studies from LSU, a Master’s degree in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Colonel (Ret.) McArdle has served in command and staff positions within various Infantry and Special Operations Units. As an Infantry Officer, he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Scout Platoon Leader in the 24rh Infantry Division. Company Commander, Battalion Operations Officer in the 25th Infantry Division. Battalion Executive Officer and as the Chief of Operations in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). As a Special Operations Officer, he served as an Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) Commander in 5th Special Forces Group and as a staff officer at the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Colonel McArdle also served as a Troop Commander, Squadron Operations Officer, Squadron Commander and Executive Officer for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (SFOD-D). Colonel McArdle’s career included temporary duty assignments as Chief of Staff of a unique Joint Task Force for the SFOR Commander in Bosnia responsible for the hunt and capture of Persons Indicted for War Crimes (PIFWCs) and as General McChrystal’s Task Force 6-26 Liason Officer to the Multinational Force – Iraq in the hunt for the Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. COL (Ret.) McArdle was the Senior Army Advisor to the Texas National Guard and ended his career as the Chief of Operational Base San Antonio, a new rapidly, deployable Human Intelligence (HUMINT) organization for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that McArdle help build from the ground up.
Colonel (Ret.) McArdle has participated in hostage rescue operations in El Salvador (1989), Operation Just Cause (1989-90), Operation Desert Storm (1991), a non-combatant evacuation from Monrovia, Liberia (1996), a hostage rescue operation in Lima, Peru (1996), Operations Joint Guard and Joint Forge (Bosnia) (1997 and 2001), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2004) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan 2005-2008).
His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Special Forces Officer Course, the Army’s Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the Army War College.
Colonel (Ret.) McArdle’s awards and decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion Of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Southwest Asia Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Polish Meritorious Achievement Medal (Silver), NATO Medal, Saudi Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Polish Master Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Scuba Badge, Ranger Tab, and Special Forces Tab.
Since his retirement in 2008, COL (Ret) McArdle made four deployments to Afghanistan between 2009 to 2013 as an Operations Integrator for the Counter IED Operations and Intelligence Center. In 2013-2014, McArdle worked as a contractor for the US State Department in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of a 10 man team tasked with writing a Strategic Plan to increase the capacity of the Saudi Diplomatic Security Special Forces.
Between those contracts in 2011, COL (Ret) McArdle served as an Operations Planner for the Texas Rangers in the Border Security Operations Center located in Austin, TX where he planned joint, inter-agency surge operations along the Texas-Mexico border to interdict Cartel smuggling.
From 2017-2018, McArdle worked as a Site Manager in Niamey, Niger for Berry Aviation, Inc. Berry Aviation provided rotary wing and fixed wing STOL aircraft support to SOF in West Africa.
In addition, McArdle is the primary instructor for a lady’s pistol club in his hometown of Bastrop, TX. This is a volunteer community service project where McArdle provides instruction on self defense with a pistol to the members of the Pistol and Pearls Society. McArdle also gives free concealed handgun classes to his friends, neighbors and Special Forces Association Chapter 41 members in order for them to apply for a License to Carry in the state of Texas. McArdle feels a well trained neighborhood is a safe neighborhood!
McArdle is married to his former high school sweetheart Elizabeth (Libby) Gastinel of Baton Rouge, LA. They have four children and nine grandchildren.