Lieutenant Colonel (R) Brian W. Wright

Military Person

1964 –

84

Who is Lieutenant Colonel (R) Brian W. Wright?

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Brian Wright began his military career in 1983 as an Air Force airman radio repair specialist with the 219 Engineer Installation Squadron in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. In 1985, he transferred to the Oklahoma Army National Guard (OKARNG) and served as a Forward Arming Refuel Point (FARP) platoon member in the 45th Special Operations Aviation Battalion (Airborne). In 1986, he was selected and attended the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, becoming an infantry officer with the 1-279th Infantry OKARNG. He spent the next six years as an infantry officer commanding TOW, Scout, Rifle platoons and serving as a Company Executive Officer before commanding A Company 1-279th Infantry. In 1992, he transferred to the 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, where he spent a year in training and then served as a Special Forces Officer commanding the Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA) 2014 Military Free Fall (MFF). In 1994 LTC(R) Wright started his active duty career with the U.S. Army, and he spent the next 21 years in various command/leadership, instructional and staff positions in South America, Central America, Mexico, Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa.

Active Duty Assignments:

•USAFRICOM ACJ58 Strategy Directorate Branch Chief for the Counter-Terrorism Programs, ACJ5-GPF Division Deputy Division Chief for Libya General Purpose Forces and the ACJ54 Regional Engagements Division East, U.S. Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany 2012-2015.

•SOJ5 Strategy Directorate Chief of Plans, Special Operations Command South (Airborne), Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL 2010-2012.

•SOJ53 Strategy Directorate Division Chief for Surveys, Engagements, and Country Plans, Special Operations Command Europe (Airborne), Stuttgart, Germany 2007-2010.

•S3 Operations Directorate Global War on Terrorism Staff Officer and Special Forces Company Commander Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, and SOF Staff Officer to the Multi National Command – Iraq under Lieutenant General Odierno 2007.

•Special Forces Company Commander, A Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, CO 2005-2006.

•Liaison Officer to the Multi-National Division Baghdad (MND-B), Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP) Iraq 2005.

•G3 Operation Directorate Staff Officer, Headquarters, 7th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO 2004-2005.

•Special Forces Detachment Commander and Instructor SFODA, B Company, The Training Battalion, The U.S. Army School of the Americas (USARSA) / Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) (Airborne), Fort Benning, GA 2000-2003.

•Guest Instructor Mexican Military Academy, Mexico City 1998-2000.

•Special Forces Detachment Commander SFODA 791 (CT) & 795 (RST), C Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Clayton, Panama 1996-1998.

•Special Forces Detachment Commander SFODA 714 (MFF), A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC 1994-1996.

•Mr. Wright has nearly 15 years in various command positions and nearly 10 years of ‘Joint’ service. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in December 2015.

Overseas Deployments (Year & Type):

•2014 Counterterrorism Programs Staff visit to Tunisia.

•2007-2010 Special Operations Forces missions to Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia, Albania, Netherland, Belgium, Romania, Spain, Croatia.

•2007 CJSOTF-AP Company Commander, Anbar Province (Al Asad), and SOF Staff Officer to MNC-I in support to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (V).

•2006 A-3/10 SFG(A) Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) Command Visits to Georgia for SOF training and to Albania for the multi-national exercise, which included Croatia and Macedonia SOF.

•2005 CJSOTF-AP LNO to MND-B in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (III).

•2004 7th Infantry Division (ID) Training Assessment to 2nd ID Camp Red Cloud, South Korea.

•1996-1998 Special Forces missions to Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Curacao, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru, Uruguay.

•1995 Special Forces support for the Andean Ridge “Air Bridge” mission to Peru.

•1994 SF Deployment for Training (DFT) to conduct a Light Infantry Battalion train-up for Exercise ‘SIMON BOLIVAR,’ which included battalions from Ecuador and Venezuela. Pre-exercise training was conducted in Tolemaida (Melgar), Colombia, and the exercise was conducted at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Chafee, AR.

•1984 Administrative support to 138th Fighter Squadron, Operation CORONET COVE, Howard AFB, Panama.

Professional Development Schools: Joint Forces Systemic Operational Design Course, Tampa, FL 2009; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) in the Spanish Language, WHINSEC, Fort Benning, GA 2003-2004; U.S. Army Defense Language Institute Turkish Language and Cultural Course 2002-2003; U.S. Army Special Operations Forces Language Training (Spanish), Fort Bragg, NC 1993; U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment Commander’s Course 1992-1993; U.S. Army Infantry Officer Advanced Course (IOAC) 1991; U.S. Army Infantry Basic Course (IOBC) 1986; U.S. Army Officer Candidate School 1986. U.S. Air Force Ground Radio Communications Specialist School, Keesler AFB, Keesler, MS 1983-1984; U.S. Air Force Basic Training, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX 1983.

Special Skill Schools: Instructor’s Course in the Spanish Language, U.S. Army School of the Americas, Fort Benning, GA 2000; 7th SFG(A) Jump Master School, Fort Bragg, NC 1997; Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance Target Analysis Exploitation Techniques Course (SFARTAETC), Fort Bragg, NC 1996; U.S. Army Military Free Fall School, Fort Bragg, NC 1993; U.S. Army Survival Evasion Resistance Escape (SERE) School, Camp Mackall, NC 1992, U.S. Army Airborne School, Fort Benning, GA 1992; Infantry Mortar Leaders Course (IMLC) Fort Benning, GA 1992; Expert Infantry Badge Course Camp Gruber, OK 1988; Air Assault Course Camp Gruber, OK 1987.

Civilian Education/Background: Master of Arts, International Administration, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, (DEC) 2018; Associates of Arts, Turkish Language Studies, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA 2004; Bachelors of Science, Business Administration, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK 1991.

Awards: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Joint Merit Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Service Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster, Reserve Commendation Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Global War On Terrorism Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Star, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3rd award), Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, US Air Force Training Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Special Forces Tab, Military Free Fall Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, USARSA/WHINSEC Instructor Badge, Mexican Marines Jump Master Wings, Honduras Army Jump Wings, El Salvador Army Jump Wings and Guatemalan Army Jump Wings.

Items of Interest:

•LTC(R) Wright is the only known Regular Commissioned Special Forces Officer to have commanded five Special Forces Detachments (1993-1998 / 2000-2002).

•LTC(R) Wright test jumped Military Free Fall operations on the ‘New’ C-17 Aircraft in 1996.

•LTC(R) Wright commanded key out-station elements in Juanjui, Iquitos, Chiclayo, and Lima Peru during 1995 ‘Air Bridge Mission’ assisting the Peruvian military destroy and capture more than 14 narcotrafficking aircraft. He maintained relationships with Peruvian Military Forces and visited key leadership at Pucallpa, La Hoya, Arequipa, Tarapoto, and Tingo Maria.

•LTC(R) Wright commanded U.S. protection and assessment teams for U.S. Ground Based Radar Sites and U.S. aviation asset at the locations of Marandua, Araracuara, Leticia and Apiay (Villavicencio), Colombia and at Iquitos, Peru.

•LTC(R) Wright lead the first SOF security assessment of the U.S. Interest Section, Havana, Cuba 1998.

•LTC(R) Wright planned and assisted the Chief of the Military Liaison Office who led the first Mexican Military (Marines) exercise participation outside of Mexico since World War II for the Joint Task Force-Bravo Honduras Multi-National Humanitarian Exercise in July 1999.

•LTC(R) Wright was responsible for assisting Lieutenant General Odierno’s staff as the CJSOTF-AP LNO to MNC-I win the 2007 Iraq Surge for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. He drafted and staffed the Operation IRAQI FREEDOM Campaign ‘Fragmentary’ Order (FRAGO) for expanding ‘the Anbar Awakening’ across all the country utilizing clean-up contracts with tribal sheikhs 2007. The FRAGO was key to influencing tribal leadership cooperation and ultimately defeated the insurgency. Clean-up contracts created employment and enough Iraqi tribal sheik assistance to stop the Al Qaida and insurgency Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and rocketing operations against U.S. and Iraqi government forces, ultimately winning the war.

•LTC(R) Wright was the SOCEUR Primary Staff Officer assigned by Rear Admiral (upper half) William ‘Bill’ McRaven Commander Special Operations Command Europe to assess and author the ‘President Bush’ directed Democratic Republic of Congo Assessment for a Special Capability Battalion 2008. This led to the U.S. State Department receiving funding to build a battalion in 2009 to address the problems in Eastern DRC.

•LTC(R) Wright was handpicked by the Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) Deputy Commander Brigadier General Michael Repass to organize a Joint Planning Group to assess, author and deploy to Georgia immediately after combat operations cease fire between Georgia and Russia in August 2008. He wrote the DOTMLPF-JWF SOF Assessment used as a guide by all DoD Services assigned to the U.S. European Command to complete a comprehensive Georgian Defense Reform Assessment.

•LTC(R) Wright was the primary SOCEUR Staff Officer to plan, coordinate, manage and promote Partner Development Program (PDP) within the Office of Secretary of Defense and the U.S. State Department. Due to this effort, SOCEUR received funding and currently uses PDP to fund many operations in Eastern Europe to confront malign Russian operations. Multiple SOF units have deployed and been funded and supported by PDP funding.

•LTC(R) Wright participated in the U.S. Africa Command response to the 2012 9/11 Benghazi attack. He assisted Leadership manage communication and planning in the aftermath of the 9-11 attack on Benghazi, Libya, while providing on call and 24-hour support to the Operations Cell. He was responsible for communicating on behalf of Major General Charles Hooper J-5 Director for Strategy, Policy and Plans and maintaining direct communications with DoD elements in at risk U.S. Embassies in Africa.

•LTC(R) Wright was assigned Branch Chief for managing ‘President Obama’ directed Counter Terrorism Partnership Fund Programs worth over $600 million annually in 16 African Nations. He was responsible for planning, coordinating and executing programs to counter the Al Shabab terrorist network in Somalia and Kenya, the Boko Haram terrorist network in Nigeria, Chad, and Niger, the ISIS and Al Qaida networks in Libya, Mali, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.

•Mr. Wright was responsible as the 352 SOW Deputy Director for Operations and Logistics planning the aviation portion of the U.S. European Command directed Non-Combat Evacuation (NEO) of Americans during Turkey Coup, July 2016. Planned and participated in two Hostage Rescue operations in Afghanistan from April to December 2016.

We need you!

Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!

Born
Oct 18, 1964
USA
Profession

Submitted
on January 09, 2019

Citation

Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Lieutenant Colonel (R) Brian W. Wright." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/biography/lieutenant-colonel-(r)-brian-w.-wright/b/84a20cc1>.

Discuss this Lieutenant Colonel (R) Brian W. Wright biography with the community:

0 Comments

    Browse Biographies.net