Brian L. Losey

Brian Lee Losey[1] (born November 11, 1960) is a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy. He headed the Naval Special Warfare Command from 2013 until his retirement in 2016. Losey is a native of Tacoma, Washington.

Brian L. Losey
Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey in his official United States Navy photo.
Born (1960-11-11) November 11, 1960
Tacoma, Washington
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1983–2016
RankRear Admiral
Commands heldNaval Special Warfare Command
Special Operations Command Africa
Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsNavy Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal (3)

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.[2]

Career

He attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., and graduated from BUD/S Class 126 in January 1984 and was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE. 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. Losey served with Special Boat Unit 26 from 1990 to 1992 before receiving an assignment to Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) and completing a specialized selection and training course known as green team in 1993. He commanded SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Team ONE from 2001 to 2003 and served as deputy commander, then unit commander of DEVGRU from 2005 to 2007.

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).

Losey assumed command of Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, CA in June 2013.[4] Previously he was Commander, Special Operations Command Africa and Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HoA), Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. [5] 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 U.S. Senate blocked Losey's promotion based on these retaliation claims that were confirmed by the Pentagon's Inspector General. The Navy had sought to disregard those findings by promoting Losey before the Senate intervened, effectively ending Losey's career.[6]

Based on the recommendations provided by the Board for Correction of Naval Records, then Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, approved the retroactive promotion of Losey to January 12, 2017. The retroactive date was set to Losey's eligibility date to two-star rear admiral.[7] Along with his promotion to second star, Rear Admiral Losey received back pay and an increase to his annual military retirement pension.[7] The accelerated review in 7 weeks and final week memo by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus granting the promotion were widely criticized by members of Congress and Naval law observers.[7] Losey is an Advisory Board Member of Spirit of America, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports the safety and success of Americans serving abroad and the local people and partners they seek to help.[8]

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."[9]

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."[10]

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.[11] In April, 2016 the Navy decided to not promote Losey, paving the way for Davidson's appointment.[12]

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.”[13] 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.”[14]

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.”[15]

Awards and decorations

Brian L. Losey received multiple awards and recognitions:[16]
Badge SEAL Insignia
1st Row Navy Distinguished Service Medal 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. "PN1420 — Navy". U.S. Congress. October 6, 1992. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  2. "US Navy Biographies – Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey". United States Navy. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  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. "NSW Leadership: Commander Naval Special Warfare Command Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey, USN". Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
  5. Senate, Executive session, December 14, 2011, Congressional Record 112th Congress (2011–2012)
  6. Navy SEAL admiral’s rare, public punishment
  7. Whitlock, Craig (March 31, 2017). "Navy promotes SEAL commander in defiance of Congress". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  8. https://spiritofamerica.org/staff/admiral-brian-losey
  9. Craig Whitlock. Powerful admiral punishes suspected whistleblowers, still gets promotion, The Washington Post, October 21, 2015
  10. "Admiral punished suspected whistleblowers, is still poised for promotion". Stars and Stripes. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  11. Craig Whitlock. Senator pressures Navy to take action against admiral in charge of SEALs, The Washington Post, December 19, 2015.
  12. Dozier, Kimberly (2016-05-13). "Inside the Takedown of the Top Navy SEAL". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  13. "Commander of bin Laden raid blasts Senate for disrespecting military leaders". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  14. "William McRaven: A warrior's career sacrificed for politics". Archived from the original on 2018-11-25. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  15. Dozier, Kimberly (2016-05-13). "Inside the Takedown of the Top Navy SEAL". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  16. Military Times Hall of Valor: Brian L. Losey
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