Jonathan Braga

Military career Braga graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in national security public affairs, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Branch in 1991. His first assignment was rifle platoon leader with the 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth Army in South Korea, followed by service with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin, California. He then attended Army Special Forces Qualification Course and served with the 7th Special Forces Group from 1995 to 2001 as Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA) commander, Company Executive officer and Company commander. In 2002 Braga volunteered for and completed a specialized selection and operator training course for assignment to 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He would serve numerous leadership positions as squadron operations officer and troop commander with deployments during Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation WILLING SPIRIT until 2005. Braga earned a master's degree from the Naval Command and Staff College, Naval War College in 2006 and transferred to Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in Washington, D.C. Braga returned to United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg in 2008 and served as operations officer, Squadron Commander and Deputy Unit Commander.

Lt. Gen. Jonathan P. Braga assumes command of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, during a ceremony at Fort Bragg, 13 August 2021

Braga's most recent assignments include: Army War College Special Operations Fellow at the Naval Postgraduate School, Garrison Commander of the National Training Center in Fort Irwin from 2013 to 2015; Chief of Staff at Joint Special Operations Command from 2015 to 2017 and Director of Operations, Combined Joint Task Force—Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in Iraq. Braga assumed command as Commander, Special Operations Command, Pacific on 27 July 2018.

Braga praised the collaboration with Kurdish troops on the ground during Operation Inherent resolve: The disinformation campaign was targeted against the Chinese-produced vaccine Sinovac CoronaVac, and intended to undermine a possible increase of Chinese influence in the country. In summer of that same year, the campaign was expanded to target Muslim-majority countries.

Defense Superior Service Medal with bronze "C" device and two bronze oak leaf clusters Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

Army Presidential Unit Citation Joint Meritorious Unit Award Meritorious Unit Commendation

U.S. Service (Campaign) Medals and Service and Training Ribbons National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star Afghanistan Campaign Medal with service star Iraq Campaign Medal with four service stars Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with campaign star Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Army Service Ribbon

Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 4

Personal life Braga is the son of Reid and Mary Braga.