Harold Greene

Harold J. Greene was a United States Army major general who was killed in the War in Afghanistan. He became the highest-ranking American servicemember killed by hostile action since Lieutenant General Timothy J. Maude was killed in the September 11 attacks.

Greene was from upstate New York and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1980. He held a Ph.D. in materials science from the University of Southern California, as well as master's degrees in engineering from both schools.

He also held a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the United States Army War College.
Greene received his officer's commission in 1980.

As a brigadier general, Greene was deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland and the Commanding General of Natick Soldier Systems Center, Massachusetts.

He was next Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), and then as a major general, was Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management in the same office. Later, Greene was the deputy commanding general of Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan.

Death

Greene died after being shot by an Afghan soldier at Marshall Fahim National Defense University, Camp Qargha in Kabul, Afghanistan. He had been making a routine visit to a training facility at the time. He became the highest-ranking American servicemember killed by hostile action since Lieutenant General Timothy J. Maude was killed at the Pentagon in the September 11 attacks, and the highest-ranking one killed on foreign soil since Rear Admiral Rembrandt Cecil Robinson of the U.S. Navy was killed in May 1972, during the Vietnam War.