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Commander of SOCom ready for retirement
By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
Published March 30, 2007
TAMPA - The head of U.S. Special Operations Command is retiring this summer after nearly four years commanding the nation's elite commandos. Army Gen. Bryan "Doug" Brown submitted his retirement papers in recent weeks, though a replacement has not yet been selected. Any successor to Brown must be appointed by President Bush and receive Senate confirmation. "Gen. Brown thinks there are great candidates that are available to take his position and serve both the command and the country with great distinction," SOCom spokesman Ken McGraw said Thursday. McGraw noted that Brown had served almost a year longer than the usual three-year stint for a SOCom commander and is its longest-serving chief. One leading candidate to replace Brown is his deputy, Vice Adm. Eric Olson, 55, who once headed an elite SEAL counterterrorist unit and is a 1973 graduate of the Naval Academy. Brown was himself the SOCom deputy commander before taking the top job in September 2003. McGraw declined to speculate on who Brown's replacement might be because the decision is in the Pentagon's hands. Neither Olson nor Brown was available for an interview. "Vice Adm. Olson would be one person under consideration just by virtue of his experience and the position he's in now," McGraw said. If Olson wins the appointment, Navy officers would head the two top military commands - both headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base - leading the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. Earlier this month, Adm. William Fallon took over U.S. Central Command. McGraw said he did not know Brown's retirement plans. Brown, 58, who will soon complete 40 years of Army service, entered the military as a private in 1967 and served in Vietnam. His tenure at SOCom has been marked by some controversy. A kickback scandal involving defense contracts led to criminal charges in 2005 against two former SOCom officials. FBI and Pentagon investigators had also looked into allegations that Brown unduly influenced the contract process at SOCom. But allegations made in an anonymous letter were deemed unfounded. William R. Levesque can be reached at levesque@sptimes.com or 813 226-3436.
[Last modified March 30, 2007, 00:40:56]
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by Steve
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06/04/07 10:52 AM
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When will General Brown tell the truth that Spellissy didn't do anything wrong? I agree with Devin and Mike.
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by Gilbert
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03/31/07 06:36 AM
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WOW, obviously Gen. Brown is not on Devin and Mike's Christmas list. Sounds like Brown was a Rumsfeld crony, who thought he was above the law. I wonder did Gen. Abazaid know about these concerns? Hmmm!
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by Devin
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03/30/07 11:05 AM
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General Brown needs to go. He screwed Tom Spellissy to benefit him and his friend Lou Hennies. The only conspiracy was Brown and Hennies. Brown is a terrible general officer.
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by Mike
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03/30/07 07:20 AM
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It's about time for General "Double Standard" Brown to retire. Controversy is an understatement during his command. He has screwed innocent people and let others go. It will be interesting to see what else breaks out after he is gone.
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