Lt. General Scott Howell on Monday was identified by Congressman James Comer (R-KY) as the special forces commander who helped plan and lead the Saturday mission that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — the founder and leader of the Islamic State.
The Daily Mail reported that Howell, a native of Cadiz, Kentucky, was commissioned through the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987 and earned his wings at Alabama’s Fort Rucker.
Fort Rucker is located in the Wiregrass, primarily in Dale County.
Howell, a career helicopter pilot with over 2,600 flight hours, has additional Alabama connections.
According to his official military biography, Howell in 1991 attended squadron officer school at Maxwell Air Force Base. He later would attend Air Command and Staff College both by correspondence and then in-person at Maxwell.
Additionally, Howell in 1995 graduated from Troy State University (now Troy University) with a master of science in management.
He is now serving as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina — the home of Delta Force. Before assuming that command last year, Howell was the vice commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command in Washington, D.C.
It is not immediately clear whether Howell was on the ground in Syria when the mission was executed this weekend.
Local publications in Kentucky have substantiated the Daily Mail’s reporting, including the Lexington Herald Leader.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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