Brian L. Losey

Brian L. Losey
Born (1960-11-11) November 11, 1960
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Rank Rear Admiral
Commands held Naval Special Warfare Command

Brian L. Losey (born November 11, 1960) is a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy. He heads the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW). Brian Losey is a native of Tacoma, Washington.

Education

A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, class of 1983, Losey also holds a Masters degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, which he received in 2004. He is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute, the Armed Forces Staff College, and Air Command and Staff College.[1] He attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., and graduated from BUD/S Class 126 in 1984.

Career

Losey assumed command of Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, CA in June 2013.[2] Previously he was Commander, SOCAFRICA and Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HoA), Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.

His operational assignments have included a full range of duties in SEAL Teams, SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Teams and Special Boat Teams, and deployments to named and contingency operations around the world. He commanded SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDV) Team ONE and served as deputy commander and commander of Naval Special Warfare Development Group.

Other assignments include: duty as deputy commander, Naval Special Warfare Task Group, U.S. 6th Fleet; Maritime Operations officer and deputy chief of Current Operations in the Joint Special Operations Command; and U.S. 7th Fleet Special Warfare officer in USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19). He served in the Executive Office of the President as a director on the National Security Council Staff bridging two administrations.[3]

On December 14, 2011, the U.S. Senate confirmed Losey's appointment as Rear Admiral (lower half).[4] On March 21, 2016, the Navy announced that Losey was being denied promotion to Rear Admiral (upper half) following the Inspector General's review of allegations of retaliation taken against subordinates (see detail below). The Navy simultaneously announced the planned retirement of Losey following a transition of command.

Retaliation complaints

In 2011-2015, the Department of Defense Inspector General (DOD IG) investigated and upheld three out of five whistle-blower retaliation complaints against Admiral Losey after questioning 100 witnesses and amassing 300,000 pages of records.

According to The Washington Post, Losey "was investigated five times by the Defense Department’s inspector general after subordinates complained that he had wrongly fired, demoted or punished them during a vengeful but fruitless hunt for the person who had anonymously reported him for a minor travel-policy infraction."[5]

The DOD IG found that Admiral Losey wrongly believed there was "a conspiracy to undermine his command". Inspector General recommended that the Navy discipline Losey for violating whistleblower-protection laws. Navy leadership reviewed the DOD Inspector General report and concluded that "none of the allegations rose to the level of misconduct on Admiral Losey’s part."[6]

In a statement to the Congressional Record in December 2015, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) said he had placed a hold on the nomination of Janine Davidson, a former Pentagon official and Air Force pilot, to become the next Navy undersecretary until the service reconsidered its decision not to punish Admiral Losey for his violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.[7] In April, 2016 the Navy decided to not promote Losey, paving the way for Davidson’s appointment.[8]

Substantive support

William H. McRaven called him “without a doubt one of the finest officers with whom I have ever served. Over the past 15 years no officer I know in the SEAL Teams has given more to this country than Brian.”[9] He described it as an example of a “disturbing trend in how politicians abuse and denigrate military leadership, particularly the officer corps, to advance their political agendas.”[10]

On the House floor, Retired SEAL officer-turned-Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-MT), rejected claims that Losey retaliated. “He saw a problem and took action”. “Once again, an entrusted, entrenched bureaucracy was allowed to hide behind threats, hide behind whistleblowers, hide behind rules that were intended to protect command and not to erode it.”[11]

Awards and decorations

Brian L. Losey received multiple awards and recognitions:[12]

 
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Silver star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Badge SEAL Insignia
1st Row Defense Superior Service Medal w/ 2 oak leaf clusters Bronze Star w/ 3 award stars
2nd Row Defense Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 oak leaf clusters Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 award stars Joint Service Commendation Medal
3rd Row Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ 1 award star Joint Service Achievement Medal w/ 3 oak leaf clusters Combat Action Ribbon w/ 2 award stars
4th Row Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 service star Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 3 oak leaf clusters Navy Unit Commendation w/ 1 service star
5th Row Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 1 service star Navy Expeditionary Medal National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star
6th Row Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/ 3 service stars Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ 2 campaign stars Iraq Campaign Medal w/ 2 campaign stars
7th Row Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal
8th Row Armed Forces Service Medal w/ 2 service stars Humanitarian Service Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 9 service stars
9th Row Overseas Service Ribbon w/ 2 service stars NATO Medal w/ 2 service star Rifle Marksmanship Medal
10th Row Pistol Marksmanship Medal Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon Air Force Training Ribbon
Badge Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia
Badge Presidential Service Badge

References

  1. "US Navy Biographies - Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey". United States Navy. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  2. NSW Leadership: Commander Naval Special Warfare Command Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey, USN
  3. Interview Of Rear Admiral Brian Losey Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine., Executive Session, Committee On Oversight And Government Reform, Joint with the Committee On Armed Services, Subcommittee On Oversight And Investigations, U.S. House Of Representatives, Washington, D.C
  4. Senate, Executive session, December 14, 2011, Congressional Record 112th Congress (2011-2012)
  5. Craig Whitlock. Powerful admiral punishes suspected whistleblowers, still gets promotion, The Washington Post, October 21, 2015
  6. "Admiral punished suspected whistleblowers, is still poised for promotion". Stars and Stripes. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  7. Craig Whitlock. Senator pressures Navy to take action against admiral in charge of SEALs, The Washington Post, December 19, 2015.
  8. Dozier, Kimberly (2016-05-13). "Inside the Takedown of the Top Navy SEAL". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  9. "Commander of bin Laden raid blasts Senate for disrespecting military leaders". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  10. "William McRaven: A warrior's career sacrificed for politics". Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  11. Dozier, Kimberly (2016-05-13). "Inside the Takedown of the Top Navy SEAL". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  12. Military Times Hall of Valor: Brian L. Losey
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