Operations under the command of Lieutenant General Raymond T. Odierno in 2006. Colonel Hickey helped plan and oversee the execution of the "Surge" in direct support of the corps commanding general. He was credited by the commanding general for the dramatic reduction of improvised explosive device attacks against coalition troops due to the efforts of Colonel Hickey's Counter IED Operations Integration Cell. Decorated for gallantry, valor and merit, Colonel Hickey's decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star for Valor, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Iraq Campaign Medal, Four Stars and the Valorous Unit Award. He was also interviewed and shown on the Military Channel show Ace in the Hole, and he featured in TV documentaries such as Zero Hour, 2003 BBC World News and 2009 The Surge: The Whole Story. Colonel Hickey is heavily featured in the book by Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Steve Russell entitled We Got Him. After retiring from the army, Colonel Hickey served for years as vice president for ACADEMI's Security and Professional Services Business Unit (formerly Blackwater). In January 2015, he began work for Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, as his senior military advisor. In January 2019, Colonel Hickey accepted a position as a vice president with Raytheon Intelligence and Space. Colonel Hickey has been married to the former Maureen Kelly of Arlington, Virginia, since 1983. References External links https://web.archive.org/web/20100529060738/http://www.sais-jhu.edu/pressroom/publications/sais-reports/2004_feb_march/SAIS_Reports04.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20041029014714/http://www4.army.mil/armyimages/armyimage.php?photo=2096 1960 births Living people Virginia Military Institute alumni People from Chicago Irish soldiers in the United States Army United States Army colonels United States Army personnel of the Iraq War Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit