Rumsfeld Elevates Gen Doug Brown to Head of US Special Operations Command

FoxNews and Army Public Affairs ^ | USSOCOM PAO

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Rumsfeld spoke this afternoon at a ceremony in which Gen Doug Brown was placed in command of USSOCOM (US Special Operations Command.) USSOCOM is over all Special Operations: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. It has had a crucial role in executing the war on terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Army News Service, Aug. 26, 2003) -- The U.S. Special Operations Command soon-to-be commander, Gen. Bryan D. Brown, pinned on his fourth star Aug. 25 at Fort Bragg, N.C.

The new four-star general will assume command Sept. 2. Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army's new chief of staff, presided over the ceremony.

Brown, an aviator and Special Forces officer, is currently the deputy commander of USSOCOM, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to officiate the change of command ceremony during which Air Force Gen. Charles R. Holland, who led USSOCOM for three years, will hand over the command reins to Brown.

Brown will lead the command that consists of about 47,000 Army, Navy, Air Force Special Operations Forces personnel and both active and reserve Marines. All forces are organized into a variety of land, sea and aerospace forces.

Brown has a bachelor's degree in history from Cameron University and a master's degree in business from Webster University.

He entered the Army in 1967 as a private in the Infantry. Upon completion of Airborne School and the Special Forces Qualifications Course, he served on a Special Forces "A Team."

As a general officer he served as assistant division commander (Maneuver), 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Riley, Kan. He also served as director of Plans, Policy and Strategic Assessments at USSOCOM, and commanding general for Joint Special Operations Command and USSOCOM, Fort Bragg, N.C.

His combat tours include Vietnam, as well as Operations Urgent Fury in Grenada, Desert Shield and Storm in Iraq.

(Editor's note: This press release was submitted by the U.S. Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office.)

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Although not noted in this article, Brown was an army aviator and was one of the early members of TF160, the NightStalkers. With the NightStalkers he was C Co Commander, S-3, Deputy Commander, and Commander.

Brown is a soldier's soldier who began as a private and worked his way up.

[Carry_Okie]

Brown is a soldier's soldier who began as a private and worked his way up.

How refreshing. Wesley Clark, please take notice.

[PhiKapMom]

This is terrific news! Thanks for giving the background the article didn't give!

[kayak]

fyi

[xzins]

ping

[Grampa Dave]

I second your remark here:

How refreshing. Wesley Clark, please take notice.

[Grampa Dave]

I second your remark here:

How refreshing. Wesley Clark, please take notice.

[Travis McGee]

Do mean that he does not wear tailored cammies with a special perfume pocket?

[Neets]

From Enlisted to General Officer..that is a VERY VERY good sign.

Thanks for the ping Kay!

[musical_airman]

I was there today, with the band of the USAF reserve......and I like him already! His remarks were firey and concise, and he took an extra moments time to thank the band for being there (we really appreciate that). I think that USSOCOM is in good hands. HOO-RAH!

[xzins]

No perfume on Gen Brown. He's the real deal.

[pabianice]

SECDEF does not elevate any flag officer. The President does.

[xzins]

FoxNews drove me nuts. They got right up to Rumsfelds remarks about Brown and then they cut away. I wanted to gag them.

I envy your being there today.

Brown's been a great commander wherever he's gone.

[xzins]

I couldn't write in "officiates at change of command ceremony." It was too long.

Besides, the SecDef is the President's representative over the military side of the house.

[Ramius]

Although not noted in this article, Brown was an army aviator and was one of the early members of TF160, the NightStalkers. With the NightStalkers he was C Co Commander, S-3, Deputy Commander, and Commander.

Brown is a soldier's soldier who began as a private and worked his way up.

This strikes me as a very, very good thing.

[xzins]

It is. He's a very good man.

[Ramius]

Yet another reason to be grateful that this is not the Gore administration.

[Lauratealeaf]

Oh yes!

[musical_airman]

Don't envy too much- it was about 100 degrees in that hangar.....all kidding aside it was VERY inspiring, one of those gigs that makes you really proud.

P.S. They didn't show us on Fox News, did they? ;)

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My guess is that Brown and Schoomaker go way back. When I heard that Schoomaker had been recalled to the top job, it only followed that Brown would also go to the top. I believe Schoomaker was doing Delta when Brown was doing TF160.

I'm glad we'll never know what Gore would have done with the military.