Center for a New American Security

Colonel Ross Brown is a career Armor officer who was commissioned in the Regular Army from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1987.

As a lieutenant and captain, Colonel Brown led three platoons, commanded two companies, served as the Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, and taught captains at the Armor Officer Career Course.  He was assigned to Germany, Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Knox, Kentucky.

As a major, Colonel Brown served in the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment as the Regimental Logistics and Supply Officer, 2d Squadron Operations Officer, and Regimental Operations Officer.  He served at Fort Carson, in Colorado, Egypt, and Bosnia.

As a lieutenant colonel, Colonel Brown served in USNORTHCOM as the Secretary of the Joint Staff, Chief, Current Operations J3, and Chief, Readiness and Training J3. 

Colonel Brown returned to the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment and served as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the Regiment and the Commander, 3d Squadron.  In 2005, Colonel Brown and the 3d Squadron deployed to Iraq and engaged in combat in southern Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle of Death for a year.

Colonel Brown was then selected to teach the Tactical Commanders Developmental Course for newly selected battalion and brigade commanders at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which focused primarily on sharing the latest techniques for conducting counter-insurgency warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a colonel, Colonel Brown was assigned to the Pentagon as a Strategic Planner in the Office of the Chief of Staff, Army, where he was the lead action officer and author for the Army’s 2008 Posture Statement.  He was subsequently assigned as the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Enterprise Task Force.

Before joining the Center for a New American Security as a Senior Military Fellow, Colonel Brown served as military assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense with the responsibility of assisting Presidential nominees for senior Department of Defense leadership positions through their U.S. Senate confirmation process. Following his fellowship at the Center for a New American Security, Colonel Brown will command Joint Task Force-Bravo (Honduras) beginning in the summer of 2010.

Colonel Brown’s awards include the Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, and the Ranger Tab. He holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Training and Development.

Colonel Brown is married to the former Jill Fielder, an educator.  They have a daughter, Emily (14), and a son, Eric (11).