for counter-insurgency; however, the 603rd was disbanded in June 1971. Secord moved on, to attend the Naval War College in August 1971. Command and staff assignments Secord graduated from the Naval War College in June 1972. He then moved to Washington, D.C., serving in various capacities in the United States Department of Defense. His initial assignment was desk officer for Laos, Thailand and Vietnam under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. While serving in this post, Secord claims to have been involved in planning the Christmas bombing of North Vietnam. During this period, on 1 April 1973, he was promoted to colonel far ahead of his contemporaries. Following that assignment, he assumed the position of Executive Assistant to the Director of the Defense Security Assistance Agency in July 1973. Secord then was the USAF Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) in Iran from September 1975 to July 1978. The new posting mandated a promotion to brigadier general. In his new capacity he managed all USAF military assistance programs in Iran as well as some US Navy and Army programs, and acted as chief adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Air Force. Secord claims that despite endemic corruption in Iran, his MAAG was able to rebate to the Iranian government about $50 million from the Grumman Corporation. During this time he also oversaw Project Dark Gene and Project Ibex. After William H. Sullivan was appointed ambassador, Secord again found himself clashing with the diplomat over the use of U. S. military personnel and civilian technicians. Returning to Washington, D.C. in July 1978, Secord served at Headquarters U.S. Air Force as director of international programs. Secord's official biography states that he was the ranking US Air Force officer for Operation Eagle Claw, the April 1980 attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis. However, in his autobiography, Secord denies involvement with Eagle Claw. He does give some details of his involvement with Operation Credible Sport, the planned second rescue raid to rescue the American hostages in Iran that was aborted by the hostages' release. In his final military assignment, Secord was Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs with responsibility for Near Eastern, African and South Asian affairs, from April 1981 to May 1983. While holding these two appointments, Secord continued to be involved in covert operations, though at a high level. He was instrumental in