Thomas L. Brown II

Thomas L. Brown II

Rear Admiral Thomas L. Brown II
Commander of Special Operations Command South
Born 1960 (age 55–56)
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch  United States Navy
Years of service 1983-2014
Rank
Rear Admiral
Commands held
*Commander of Special Operations Command South
Awards Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star with V

Rear Admiral Thomas L. Brown II (born 1960) is a retired United States Navy officer and the first Navy officer to command Special Operations Command South, based in Homestead Joint Air Reserve Base, Florida.[1]

Early years

Brown was born in Michigan, but raised in Danbury, CT where his parents Thomas L. Brown and Marjorie G. Brown still reside. The elder Brown is a retired U.S. Navy Commander and Naval Aviator who flew the P-5 Marlin and P-3 Orion aircraft. After retiring from the military, Commander Brown was a pilot for Trans World Airlines. Rear Admiral Brown was commissioned as a Naval officer from the University of New Mexico's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) in 1983.

Military career

He completed Underwater Demolition/ SEAL Training and Army Airborne School prior to his assignment to Navy SEAL Team FIVE in 1984. In 1987 he studied Spanish at the Defense Language Institute and then reported to SEAL Team ONE to serve as platoon commander and operations officer.

Brown’s assignments include SEAL Team EIGHT executive officer where he deployed as Naval Special Warfare Task Unit (NSWTU) commander NSWTU-Wasp under commander Amphibious Task Group 185.2; and then as commander NSWTU-America under CTF60. Brown commanded Naval Special Warfare Unit FOUR, Puerto Rico, under U.S. Southern Command from 1999-2001.

Brown’s other assignments include the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, United States Special Operations Command, and Navy section chief, U.S. Military Advisory Group El Salvador. In 2002 Brown reported to the Directorate of Operations of the Joint Staff, Deputy Directorate Special Operations, and served as the Global War on Terrorism branch chief until September 2005. He was then assigned as assistant chief of staff for Ops and Plans at Naval Special Warfare Command until June 2007, when he took command of Naval Special Warfare Group ONE. Prior to commanding SOCSOUTH, Brown served as the deputy commander of Special Operations Command Europe.[2]

RDML Brown taking command of SOCSOUTH on September 17, 2010

Taking command of Special Operations Command South

On Sept 17, 2010, Brown officially took charge of U.S. special operations forces in Latin America as the commander of Special Operations Command South at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.[3] The command is part of U.S. Southern Command, which is based in Miami and oversees U.S. military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

SOCSOUTH oversees Special Operations Forces including civil affairs and information support teams in Latin America and the Caribbean. The command manages some 300 special operations personnel within 15 countries. SOCSOUTH has a number of assigned forces including Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion of the 7th Special Forces Group; Naval Special Warfare Detachment South, and Charlie Company of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

One of Brown's first duties as SOCSOUTH commander was to host the Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program (CTFP) Conference in Miami, FL on Sept 20-24,2010.[4]

Education

Brown graduated Tau Beta Pi with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, and is a distinguished graduate of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Master of Arts in International Relations with a concentration in Latin American and Strategic Studies. He also holds a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy and the DoD Chief Information Officer Certificate from the National Defense University.

Military awards and decorations

Among Brown's military awards and decorations are the following:

Badges

References

  1. ↑ "Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. - Home". Homestead.afrc.af.mil. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  2. ↑ "Flag Officer Assignments". defense.gov. 2009-08-04. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Special Operations Command South welcomes new commander during ceremony". blackanthem.com. 2010-09-26. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  4. ↑ "Military conference promotes partnerships, communication among Western Nations".
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