Frank M. Bradley

Bradley was born and raised in Eldorado, Texas. He graduated from high school in 1987 and was accepted to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he had studied physics and was a varsity gymnast. He graduated from the academy and earned his commission in 1991.[1][2]

Bradley also earned a master's degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and received a provisional patent for his research in 2006.[1][2]

After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1991, he then immediately applied for SEAL selection and graduated from Basic Under Water Demolitions/SEAL training (BUD/S) with class 179 in 1992. His operational assignments from 1992 to 1999 include, assistant platoon commander and platoon commander tours at SEAL Team Four and SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two. He also served as an international exchange officer with the Italian COMSUBIN or Italian SEALs.[6] In 1999 Bradley volunteered for assignment to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (commonly known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team Six), and completed a specialized selection and training course known as green team. There he operated, rehearsed and planned classified missions and operations. At DEVGRU he also held numerous leadership positions from 1999 until 2015 that included Element Leader, Troop Commander, Squadron Operations Officer, Operations Officer, Squadron Commander, Deputy Commanding Officer and finally, Commanding Officer from 2013 to 2015. He was also among the first American and coalition troops to deploy to Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks, and he has deployed constantly since in support of the war on terror.[7] His staff duty from 2016 to 2018 has included service as JSOC’s J-3 Technical Operations division chief and deputy J-3; vice deputy Director for Global Operations for the Joint Staff J-3; executive officer for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. and the deputy director for CT Strategy for the Joint Staff J-5. He also served as assistant commander of JSOC from 2018 to 2020 before taking command of his current post as commander of Special Operations Command Central.[8]

Rear Admiral Mitchell Bradley and his wife Katherine have four children including daughter Mary Kate, sons Henry and James, and son Frank, who followed in his father’s footsteps and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2020.

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