CSM (Ret) Chris Faris currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for F3EA. F3EA was recently awarded the SOF RAPTOR IV contract. Under this contract F3EA will conduct special operations forces requirements analysis, prototyping, training, operations and rehearsal.
CSM Faris entered the United States Army on January 25th, 1984 and his first duty assignment was with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia where he served as an Indirect Fire Infantryman, Mortar Section Leader, and Rifle Squad Leader. After serving there for 4 years, CSM Faris attended the Special Operations Engineer Sergeants Course and was then assigned to Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he served as a Special Operations Engineer Sergeant and Special Forces Assistant Operations Sergeant. Then in June 1990, CSM Faris was assigned to 1 SFOD-D (Delta Force), Fort Bragg, North Carolina where upon completion of the Operator Training Course he served in every leadership position to include Command Sergeant Major C-Squadron 1st SFOD-D and Command Sergeant Major 1st SFOD-D. On 11 September 2008 CSM Faris became the Command Sergeant Major of Joint Special Operations Command. He served in this position until 1 September 2011. From 27 September 2011 until October 2014 CSM Faris served as the Command Sergeant Major of the United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base Florida. CSM Faris retired 28 February 2015 after 31 years of military service. CSM Faris has deployed in support of combat operations to Somalia for UNOSOM II, Afghanistan for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and to Iraq for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
CSM Faris has completed the following military courses: United States Army Sergeants Major Course, Special Forces Operations and Intelligence Course, Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course, Persian Language Course, Unit Movement Planners Course, Special Operations Engineer Sergeant Course, Military Free Fall Course, Advanced Land Navigation Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, Jumpmaster Course, Ranger Course, Basic Airborne Course, and the Indirect Fire Infantryman Course.
CSM Faris’s military awards and decorations include the following: Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit Medal, 7 Bronze Star Medals, one with Valor Device, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal w/3 Oak leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal w/2 Oak leaf Clusters, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal 9th Award, National Defense Service Medal w/Bronze Service Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/ Bronze Service Star, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with 6 Bronze Service Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Armed Forces Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon w/ Numeral 4, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Valorous Unit Award with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Superior Unit Award, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge (2d Award), Expert Infantryman Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Military Free Fall Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, and 11 Overseas Service Bars. CSM Faris was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the 75th Ranger Regiment on 26 July, 2011.
CSM Faris is married to the former Lisa Hill of Fayetteville, NC and has two daughters; Lauren and Alexandra.