Lieutenant Colonel William H. Harris Jr. was commissioned as a Lieutenant of Infantry through ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1975.
His duty assignments include:
- Rifle platoon and scout platoon leader 1/10th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division (M), Ft. Carson,CO
- Executive Officer and Commander of ODA-011, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Gulick,Panama
- Commander, Company A, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division
- Special Forces Advisor to Florida Reserve component Civil Affairs and Forces Units, Readiness Group Patrick, Patrick Air Force Base, FL
- Commander, Group Support Company, 16th Special Forces Group, and Operations Officer of 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Devens, MA
- Chief Special Plans Branch, Special Operations Command, Pacific,Camp Smith, HI
- Commander, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), Ft. Bragg, NC
His decorations include the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Medal (3 awards), Southwest Asia Service Medal (4 awards), Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3 awards), Army Achievement Medal (2 awards), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2 awards), Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Special Forces Tab and Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge and the Royal Thai Balloon Parachutist Badge.