Being Where The Action Is: A Special Forces Advisor In El Salvador

Greg Banner grew up in an Air Force family, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1979 as an Infantry Officer. In 1981, he transitioned into the Special Forces and joined 5th Group. After the Advanced Course, he returned to the 82nd Airborne Division and served in 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry. He then returned to the Special Forces, serving first in 7th Group and later 10th Group, with some Civil Affairs time in the late 80s and early 90s. During his time in the Army, he served around the world, with deployments in Jordan, Germany, El Salvador, Iraq, Bosnia, and Africa. He retired from the military in 2000, and began working for the Department of Health and Human Services. In this interview, he talks about his childhood, his experiences at West Point, and his service in both conventional and Special Forces units. He discusses his deployments around the globe in depth, and provides a unique perspective on many of his deployments, focusing on El Salvador and Iraq. Finally, he explains what West Point means to him, and provides advice for young officers.