Eric L. Haney

Eric L. Haney (born August 22, 1952) is a retired member of the United States Army counterterrorist unit, the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1SFOD-D), more commonly known as Delta Force. In recent years he has been writing on terrorism, guerrilla warfare, and special operations. Haney is the author of Inside Delta Force, a memoir of his time in the elite unit, in which he also writes about his participation in the aborted 1980 Operation Eagle Claw mission to Iran to free American hostages.

He was a co-executive producer of the CBS television series The Unit, created by David Mamet and inspired by Haney's special operations experiences. Previously, Haney was a technical consultant on Mamet's 2004 film Spartan, starring Val Kilmer.

Early life and education Haney was born on August 22, 1952, and raised in rural Lindale, Georgia, just outside the town of Rome. He graduated from Pepperell High School in 1970.

Military career Haney joined the Army just out of high school in 1970 and became a platoon sergeant by the time he was 22. He served for several years in the 75th Ranger Regiment as an infantryman and was slated to become an instructor. In 1978 he volunteered for and was selected to train with a new elite counter-terrorism unit that the Army was creating. Of the 163 soldiers that tried out, Haney was one of only 12 to succeed. This unit became operational in 1978 as the 1st SFOD-D, or Delta Force, with Haney joining the unit at least 13 months later; following further training and operational acceptance nearly six months after that, he became a full member of the unit. The unit had been formed and organized by Colonel Charles Beckwith approximately 19 months before Haney became an asset and operator with the unit. Haney served in the unit until 1986, participating in a number of special operations in Latin America and the Middle East.

After his promotion to Command Sergeant Major, the rank he held until his retirement in 1990, Haney left Delta and joined the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama.

Iran: Operation Eagle Claw In 1980, the United States launched Operation Eagle Claw, an attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis with a commando raid. Haney was one of the Delta operators who took part. He was inside a parked C-130 tanker/transport aircraft that caught fire and exploded when a Navy RH-53D helicopter piloted by a Marine aircrew collided with it after the mission had been aborted and the unit was preparing to extricate. After the debacle, he and other Delta operators were told to "take a vacation" in order to avoid media scrutiny.

Honduras In 1981, Haney and two Delta Force operators were deployed to Honduras to train Honduran Special Forces. They were sent on a mission to intercept and destroy a force of Honduran communist guerrillas that had infiltrated from Nicaragua. The 100 or so rebels allegedly were being led by an advisor from the Nicaraguan Sandinista Army.

Haney wrote that his team, composed of Delta operators and Honduran special forces soldiers, tracked the guerrillas to a mountain sanctuary in the jungle. During an assault on the hilltop, Haney noticed a guerrilla using a radio. Taking him for the leader, he shot and killed him. Haney later discovered the man was David Arturo Báez, a Nicaraguan-born U.S. citizen and former Army Special Forces soldier Haney had met during his Delta selection tests.

In his memoir, Haney questioned whether Báez had joined the Sandinistas or was working for the United States as a CIA operative up until his death (Báez is referred to in Haney's book as "Enrique 'Keekee' Sáenz").

Several former Delta members who were there, including his Squadron Commander, have disputed the incident and stated it is a fabrication.

Post-military career

After retiring from the Army in 1990, Haney was employed as a freelance security consultant and trainer. He worked within the United States and abroad as a bodyguard, trainer for military and police forces, and private kidnap rescuer.

Some of Haney's assignments in the private sector include conducting the ransom negotiation and ransom hand-over for a kidnapped oil executive in Colombia, and helping governments in two Middle Eastern countries develop their special forces capabilities. He also worked for several years as personal security detail leader for several high-profile clients, such as Saudi Prince Khalid al Faisal and Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide upon his return from exile in 1994.

During the 1990s, Haney undertook security consulting work in Algeria on a gas pipeline project, and started a contract aviation company in Liberia.

Haney was involved as a writer, producer, and technical advisor for the CBS television series The Unit, loosely based on his book. Haney also made a cameo appearance on the show as an Army recruiting officer.

Haney made a cameo appearance in the 2010 film Iron Man 2 portraying USAF commanding officer, General Meade.