“A Tactical Approach to Transition” on Friday, Nov. 5 at 11:30 AM EST
Retired Colonel Walter M. Herd, after serving 24 years in the Army, continues his service as the Army Transition Division Director at the Human Resources Command Center of Excellence in Fort Knox, Kentucky. In August 2010, Walter Herd accepted the position and immediately faced the challenge of re-engineering the Army’s Transition Assistance Program.
Under Herd’s leadership, the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) was transformed into a robust, fully comprehensive transition program offering counseling, education, and employment assistance to Soldiers, DA Civilians, and retirees. Now mandated, TAP has transitioned over 500,000 Soldiers with an additional average of 115,000 eligible Soldiers to transition annually over the next five years.
Walter Herd was commissioned into the Regular Army in June 1983, becoming the sixth generation of his family to serve in America’s military. He has served in over 25 countries and spent most of his career in Special Operations. He served in the 1st Ranger Battalion, later commanded a Special Forces A-Team, three Special Forces Companies, a Special Forces Battalion of some 350 “Green Berets” and ultimately, a Special Forces Group in combat.
That group was Colonel Herd’s first brigade level command. Third Special Forces Group (forward) was the 4,000-man, 7-nation, Combined Joint Special Forces Task Force in Afghanistan. He later commanded another brigade at Ft. Knox, KY from the summer of 2005 until his retirement in the summer of 2007.
He has a BA in History from Centre College of Kentucky and three master’s degrees, one from Marymount University in Human Resource Development and the other two from
Staff College and War College in Strategy and Military Science. Colonel Herd’s professional education includes the USMC Command and Staff College and its second year School of Advanced Warfighting program, as well as the Joint Professional Military Education Program, Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk Naval Base. He graduated from the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, PA in 2002.
Colonel Herd is a published author with his book, “Unconventional Warrior,” published in 2013 by McFarland Press.