Jonathan P. Braga

Jonathan P. Braga
Nickname(s)	Jon
Born	(1969-06-19) June 19, 1969 Attleboro, Massachusetts
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1991–present
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	United States Army Special Operations Command Special Operations Command Pacific JSOC – Army Pacific 7th Special Forces Group Delta Force
Battles / wars	War in Afghanistan Iraq War Operation Inherent Resolve
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (4)

Jonathan Patrick Braga (born June 19, 1969) is a United States Army lieutenant general, serving as the commanding general of United States Army Special Operations Command since August 13, 2021. He previously served as a deputy commanding general of United States Army Pacific from August 2020 to July 2021, as commander of Special Operations Command Pacific from July 2018 to August 2020, and before that as operations director of Operation Inherent Resolve, the official name for the US war on ISIS.

On August 12, 2021, he was promoted to lieutenant general and assumed command of the United States Army Special Operations Command one day later, succeeding Francis M. Beaudette.

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, August 13, 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 July 27, 2018.

Braga praised the collaboration with Kurdish troops on the ground during Operation Inherent resolve:

I'm very impressed. These people stood up without any international support. [...] It's the partnership we wished for, but never had, [...] I think the world owes them a debt of gratitude. They were the first to stand up against [ISIS].

— Jonathan P. Braga, 30 March 2018

In the spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was rapidly worsening, Braga reportedly led an anti-vax propaganda campaign in the Philippines. 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. The campaign was described as "payback" for COVID-19 disinformation by China directed against the U.S. In summer of that same year, the campaign was expanded to target Muslim-majority countries. The plan was discouraged by top U.S. diplomats in the region, and after revelations of the campaign came to light, health officials in the U.S. and internationally called the plan "indefensible" and said it "crossed a line."

Awards and decorations

U.S. military decorations Army Distinguished Service Medal 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 U.S. Unit Awards 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

Badges Combat Infantryman Badge Expert Infantryman Badge Special Forces Tab Ranger Tab Master Parachutist Badge with USASOC background trimming Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge Air Assault Badge United States Army Special Operations Command Combat Service Identification Badge Mexican Parachutist Badge Ecuadorian Parachutist Badge 1st Special Forces Command Distinctive Unit Insignia 7 Overseas Service Bars

Personal life

Braga is the son of Reid and Mary Braga.

Braga is married to the former Melanie Rohrbaugh of Apple Valley, Calif. The couple has five children. Braga and Rohrbaugh were married on September 4, 1999, at Fort Bragg.