Stu Bradin

Stu Bradin is the President and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation, a position he has held since April 2014.3 He is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who served for over 32 years before retiring in May 2014.1

Military Career

Bradin began his military career as an Armor Cavalry Scout in the South Carolina National Guard and was commissioned through The Citadel ROTC program in 1984.2 His Special Forces assignments included:

• Service with elements of Joint Special Operations Command
• Deputy Director of Operations at Special Operations Command Europe
• Extensive service with the 7th and 10th Special Forces Groups (Airborne)
• Commander of several SFODAs ("A-Teams")
• Battalion Operations Officer and Company Commander of a counter-terrorist unit1

He participated in Operation Just Cause, served as an adviser in El Salvador and Peru, and conducted numerous special operations in the Balkans and Africa.1

Key Positions

• Chief of Staff at NATO Special Operations Headquarters (2010-2011)
• Director of the Special Operations Fusion Cell in Afghanistan (2011)
• Chief of the Expanding Global SOF Network Operational Planning Team at U.S. Special Operations Command (2011-2014)12

Education and Expertise

• Master's degree in Latin American Studies from San Diego State University
• Latin American Foreign Area Officer
• Contributed to the first version of FM 3.0, the Army's Operations manual
• Taught at the Command and General Staff College as a SOF Instructor13

Global SOF Foundation

After retiring, Bradin established the Global SOF Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for all aspects of SOF on a global scale.2 The foundation has over 2,800 members from 60+ nations and 85+ industry partners.4

Bradin continues to be active in the special operations community, organizing events like SOF Week and advocating for SOF capabilities and partnerships to address global threats.56