Employee Profile: Spotlighting Command Sgt. Maj. William F. Thetford, U.S. Army (Ret.)

December 21, 2023

Command Sgt. Maj. William F. Thetford, U.S. Army (Ret.) passionately strives to be the driving force behind mission success in all that he does. As a high-school student in 1980, Thetford recalls feeling helpless while watching the news after Iranian militants overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and the subsequent hostage rescue mission failed.

“I knew then that if our country ever had to conduct another mission of that significance, I wanted to be a part of that effort,” he said. “This began my journey into serving the nation and the Special Operations community.” Thetford completed his initial training for Infantry and Airborne at Ft. Benning the following year.

Before joining CACI, Thetford dedicated over 35 years to Special Operations, serving in roles within the Ranger Regiment and Special Missions Unit. He was later chosen to assume the position of Senior Enlisted Leader at the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and concluded his military career in 2019 as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of U.S. Central Command.

In October 1993, Thetford played a pivotal role in the intense conflict known as the Battle of Mogadishu. While assigned to Task Force Ranger, he actively participated in the notorious two-day battle against Somalian forces and completed the now-famous Mogadishu Mile. In recognition of his heroic actions, Thetford was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest award for valor.

During his exceptional military career, Thetford recognized the crucial nature of leading a team by example. “It's hard for me to imagine a worthy leader who will not perform at a level of what they expect of their people or work as hard as their subordinates in their duties,” he said.

Accompanied by his unwavering commitment and support, Thetford joined CACI in 2019 and now serves as a Project Manager for the Special Operations Forces Emerging Threats, Operations, and Planning Support (SOFETOPS) contract. His strategic vision and drive set the standard for his team as they deliver expertise in integrated information warfare (IW) and electronic warfare (EW) solutions, training, readiness, and modernization to advance Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) missions.

Thetford has found that at CACI, upholding its culture of boundless ingenuity and opportunity takes precedence above all else. He nods to CACI President and CEO John Mengucci for fostering an environment in which employees can harness their talents and add value to the company’s mission daily.

“This empowered culture that emphasizes a ‘bias for action’ was present in my experience in the Joint Special Operations Command and is the propulsion behind CACI’s success today,” he said. “I am so grateful to be a part of a company whose culture and mission are so deeply intertwined with that of the armed forces.”