William F. "Bill" Garrison (born 27 June 1944) is a retired American major general who commanded the United States forces during Operation Gothic Serpent, the military operation launched during the Somali Civil War in 1993 to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.

According to Mark Bowden, Garrison "had served two tours in Vietnam, part of it helping to run the infamously brutal Phoenix Program, which ferreted out and killed Viet Cong village leaders.

The primary objective of the operation was to capture Somali military officer Mohamed Farrah Aidid, who was wanted by the Unified Task Force after his attacks against United Nations troops in 1992.

Garrison took full responsibility for the tactical setbacks experienced in Operation Gothic Serpent, which effectively ended his military career.

It wasn't a shame that his career was derailed after our deployment; it was a criminal act committed by political cowards.By September 1996, Garrison had retired at the rank of major general and settled into a ranch near the community of Hico, Texas.