Gunner Rawley

Paramilitary Operations Officer Gunner Rawley is a former United States Army Special Forces soldier and current Central Intelligence Agency employee. Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was known as a well-liked individual among his community who had many friends. Gunner attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill where he decided to work in the Central Intelligence Agency. Prior to graduation in 2010, he enlisted into the United States Army as a Special Forces Candidate and served within the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) between 2011 and 2016.

After his time in the United States Army as a Special Forces Staff Sergeant, Gunner trained and became a Paramilitary Operations Officer for the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations. He served in the Special Activities Center, Special Operations Group in a number of leadership positions. In-between deployments, Gunner served in staff positions within both the Central Intelligence Agency and Joint Special Operations Command. He has completed various deployments across the world with a focus in conflict zone in both clandestine and covert capacities on behalf of the United States Intelligence Community.

Early Life
Born on January 2nd 1987, Gunner was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina where his father was a successful banker.

At UNC Chapel Hill, Gunner initially declared a major in Business Administration and joined a Fraternity to build friendships. He adjusted well to the environment around him by attending parties, social events, and sports games but, struggled academically. During his spring semester, he attended an event in the Peace, War, and Defense Department where he met a Central Intelligence Agency Operations Officer. Gunner found the CIA officer to be extremely interesting and was hooked into national security topics. He left the Business Administration major and declared his major in Peace, War, and Defense along with becoming a student of modern military conflicts. He left his fraternity and replaced the time with the UNC SCUBA, Climbing, and Jiu-Jitsu Club. Along with reshaping his education, Gunner began studying Russian and expanding his knowledge about the Central Intelligence Agency.

In his third-year, Gunner received an opportunity to intern at the Central Intelligence Agency. He was assigned to the National Clandestine Service and worked closely with a Staff Operations Officer. There, he learned about the Special Activities Division, Paramilitary Operations Officers, and the Special Operations Group. When he asked how to join, Gunner was pushed away but continued to come back until he got an answer. He learned about the required military service and started searching for the best chances to serve within the Special Activities Division. He returned to UNC Chapel Hill and researched the many special operations units within the United States Armed Forces. He settled on the 18 X-Ray program to join the United States Army Special Forces by the time Winter Break came. He split his fall semester at King’s College, University of London War Studies Department and his spring back at UNC Chapel Hill.

Graduating in 2009, Gunner earned a Bachelors of Art in Peace, War, and Defense with Honors Distinction and as a cum laude. He earned a Minor in Russian Culture and Global Studies. He discussed his intentions to enlist into the United States Army with both the Central Intelligence Agency and his parents, putting off his career with the Agency to build skills. Surprisingly, his father brought a lawyer with Gunner to the Army's recruiter office to ensure the contract was legal and right. Many of Gunner's peers thought he was insane to enlist into the United States Army with the news coming out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet, Gunner pursued his dream of wanting to join the CIA and be a member of the Special Activities Division.

United States Army Career
Gunner began his career at Fort Benning, Georgia where he completed One Station Unit Training in Army Basic Training, Infantry Advanced Individual Training, and Army Airborne School by early 2010. After, he transferred up to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and then to Camp Mackall to undergo the Special Forces Qualifications Course. There, he selected 10th Special Forces Group (A), the Communications Sergeant course, and learn the required language French. Throughout his training, Gunner displayed a relentless pursuit of accumulating knowledge, tactics, and becoming a Special Forces soldier right off the street. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualifications Course in late 2011 and completed follow-on training to become HALO qualified. In 2012, Gunner reported to the 10th Special Forces Group (A), 1st Battalion, C Company as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant in Germany.

At the 10th SFG, he completed two deployments to Afghanistan in 2012 and between 2013-2014 to support Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan. Prior to his second deployment, Gunner completed the Special Forces Advanced Targeting Reconnaissance Target Analysis Exploitation Course to join a Crisis Response Force Company within 1st Battalion. During his second deployment, he ran direct action operations with an ODA across Afghanistan and supported a regional Special Operations Task Force. Other major courses included the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualifications Course, Special Forces Sniper Course, and Basic Special Operations Language Russian. In-between deployments he worked alongside NATO allies in combined training exercises across United States European Command Area of Responsibility. His final deployment in 2015 was to support Operation Atlantic Resolve where he deployed to Estonia.

While transitioning out of the United States Army, Gunner contacted a reference within the Special Activities Division he worked alongside in Afghanistan. He expressed interest in joining the Central Intelligence Agency and becoming a Paramilitary Operations Officer. He fell short with two years of the required eight years of military experience within a United States Special Operations Command unit. However, his reference within SAD told him to apply given his skills, experience, and track record from the 10th Special Forces Group (A). When Gunner got out of the Army, he was contacted by the CIA with an offer to join. He took the offer and moved from Germany to Northern Virginia where he began his training as a Paramilitary Operations Officer.

Central Intelligence Agency Career
Early CIA PMOO Career Notes
 * 2016 to 2020
 * Extensive Training, Broadening Embassy Tours and potentially private training.
 * Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Niger, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
 * Omega Program work in Yemen, Somalia, and other regions in United States Africa/Central Command.
 * Operation Inherent Resolve, Freedom's Sentinel, and Juniper Shield.

Post-Afghanistan CIA PMOO Career Notes
 * 2021 to Present
 * Joint Assignments within the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.
 * Joint Special Operations Command Interagency Task Force.
 * Potential Israel works.
 * Graduate Education with Georgetown University or Johns Hopkins University.
 * Station/Base Chief for Ukraine, Georgia, and/or a neighbor to Russia.
 * SAC/SOG Leadership Positions: Chief of Department, Deputy Branch Chief, and Team Chief.

Equipment
Gunner's primary rifle alongside USSOCOM and JSOC forces is a Heckler & Koch HK416, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, with a Geissele SMR rail and LMT B5 Stock. His standard optic setup is a is a Eotech XPS 3-0 red dot sight with a Eotech G30 magnifier. He has a L3/Harris Next Generation Aiming Laser and Surefire M600C scout light as his laser and sight with a Surefire RC 556 suppressor. Building his rifle, Gunner worked closely with building a rifle to blend in with augmented operators under the CIA's Omega Program. His close connections in the United States Army gave him extensive knowledge on how to build up his HK.

The most unique weapon for Gunner comes from SAC/Armor and Special Programs Department, his AK-103. The AK-103, chambered in 7.62x39mm has been modified extensively to fit his needs working alongside partner forces across the world. He has the Vortex Optics Razor II E 1-6x LPVO It has a Zenitco Sport-4 Rail System, PT-5 Telescopic Sight, and a RL-1 Hand Stopper. Due to the Zenitco Rail System, he added an L3/Harris Next Generation Aiming Laser and Surefire M600C scout light, then a off-market flash hider that can be replaced with an off-market suppressor.

The Glock 19, chambered with 9mm, became Gunner's preferred handgun when he joined the 10th Special Forces Group (A) in 2011. Manufactured by Glock Ges.m.b.H., he maintains a similar setup with his Glock 19 by having an aftermarket threaded barrel and a X300u white light within SAC/SOG. Notably, the Glock is built for being used in many environments and blending in without giving up lethality. The Glock itself lets Gunner use it numerous conflict zones without sticking out and finding ammo easily. Having a threaded barrel gives him the opportunity to equip a suppressor should the mission require it.