Foley joined the army before he was drafted into the military from high school and attended basic training at
Fort Dix. It was there that he became fascinated by the
Airborne Special Forces after seeing a recruiting pitch made by two
Rangers. He arrived in Vietnam in December 1965 and was assigned to command the
Tiger Force of the 1st Battalion of the
327th Infantry Regiment. He remained with that unit until 1967. Foley went on to command a long range patrol company, a Ranger company, two rifle companies, two special forces teams, and an airborne battalion headquarters company. These postings took him to Germany, Vietnam, Thailand, and elsewhere in South East Asia. At one point, he was assigned to the teaching staff of the Command and General Staff College at
Fort Leavenworth, where he was a Tactics and Special Operations instructor. ==Civilian life==