Col. David G. Gaugush

Col. David G. Gaugush was raised in Ridgefield, Ct. After attending Texas Tech University, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1996 as an 11B Infantryman and was assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2001 and branched as an engineer through the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

His initial officer assignment was as an engineer platoon leader in the 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash. In 2004 he attended the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was later assigned as the detachment commander of Special Forces Operational Detachment – Alpha (SFOD-A) 024, assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Stuttgart, Germany. He was subsequently assigned to the U.S. European Command, Commander’s In-Extremis Force as the detachment commander of SFOD-A 032, and as the company commander for the Headquarters Support Company, 1-10 SFG(A). 

In 2010, he was assigned as the Special Forces Branch Assignment Officer at the Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Ky. In 2013 he was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., as a plans officer. He was later assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as the company commander for the U.S. Africa Command’s Crisis Response Force and as the director of operations for the Special Operations Command – Forward North and West Africa. In 2016, he was assigned to the Joint Interagency Task Force – National Capital Region located in Washington, D.C. as the director of operations and the Joint Special Operations Command, Commanding General’s liaison officer to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. In 2019, he served as the battalion commander for 4th Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), located at Fort Carson, Colo. From 2021-2023, he served as the deputy G3 for the United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Most recently he served as the chief of staff of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg.

Col. Gaugush deployed multiple times to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and to Iraq for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Col. Gaugush has also deployed to Africa and Europe in support of numerous contingency operations and other special operations activities.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Master Combat Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Tab, Ranger Tab, and the Special Forces Tab.

Col. Gaugush has a BA in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas; a MS in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.; and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Marine War College, Quantico, Va.

Col. Gaugush is married and has two sons and three grandchildren.