Paul Haertel retired as Deputy Director of the FBI responsible for the Critical Incident Response Group.

During his 29-year career, he led investigations worldwide. He led the FBI office in Salt Lake City, managed the operations department of the counterterrorism division, and oversaw FBI tactical units in various roles. He worked in several overseas locations, including 5 years of cooperation with law enforcement agencies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He began his career in Kentucky, where he was a member and team leader of the FBI SWAT unit in that state. Before joining the FBI, Mr. Haertel was a member of the US Navy SEAL.