Troy University alumnus Chris Hardy, a U.S. Army veteran with 27 years of service, is among the 2022 class of inductees into the Ranger Hall of Fame.
Hardy, who graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, was among the 16 soldiers and one civilian inducted during a ceremony on July 13 at Fort Benning, Ga.
“Successful leadership is about taking care of people and demonstrating the proper example daily, in both word and deed, to earn and maintain their loyalty and respect,” said Hardy, who now serves as Senior Vice President of Operations at Yorktown Systems Group. “This experience has been incredibly humbling, and I’m honored to be an inductee of the Ranger Hall of Fame and join this great group of American heroes.”
Entering the Army in January 1986, Hardy spent most of his 27 years as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. His initial deployment took him to Somalia with Task Force Ranger. He would later serve numerous deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
During his military career, Hardy served in every enlisted duty position inherent to an Airborne Ranger Rifle Company, including multiple Sergeants Major and Command Sergeant Major positions. He also provided oversight for completion of over $3.5 billion in construction across the largest training installation in the Army, Fort Benning. In 2013, Hardy retired from a distinguished career as the CSM for the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) at Fort Benning.
Hardy has been honored with over 50 awards and decorations, including the National Infantry Association’s Order of St. Maurice, Primicerius Award and the U.S. Armor and Cavalry Association’s Order of St. George. He is also a Distinguished Member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 187th Infantry Regiment and the 502nd Infantry Regiment. He also holds a master’s degree in Education – Training and Development from Trident University International.
As Senior Vice President of Operations at Yorktown, Hardy is responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing the execution and performance of the firm’s most complex and vital operations. He also provides training and mission support to the nation’s Inter-Agency, Special Operations Forces (SOF), and other joint forces.
Located in the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Ga., the Ranger Hall of Fame preserves the legacy of some of the most extraordinary soldiers in the U.S. military. Fewer than 200 Rangers have been inducted into the hall of fame since 1992. To be eligible for selection for this honor, a person must have had a distinguished career with outstanding contributions while presenting exemplary service as a Ranger unit in combat or a successful graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School.
