Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Victor R Navarrete | Rear Admiral Mike Brown pinned on his star in a ceremony before family, friends,...... read more read more
The Navy Reserve has a new Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare; Rear Admiral Mike Brown pinned on his star in a ceremony before family, friends, colleagues, and shipmates at the US Naval Observatory library in Washington DC. This special event brought his 27-year Navy Reserve career to a pinnacle that he never envisioned at his commissioning in 1995.
In fact, Rear Admiral Brown is the very first non prior service direct commissioned officer to achieve this rank in the Information Warfare reserve community.
With his promotion, so goes the fallacy that reservists (specifically direct commissioned officers with no prior military service) are less likely to achieve the most senior roles of leadership in the Navy…a falsehood that DCO’s themselves sometimes perpetuate when confidence and balance of civilian/reservist life has not yet taken root.
Mike Brown grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. His father was a full time Alabama National Guardsman so his desire to give back comes from a family of service. What is quite evident in him at first encounter is a servant-leader spirit and a sincere desire to help mentor sailors.
After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations, Mike decided on a path of public service-but as a civilian, not in uniform. A passion for defense and security policy led him to the Pentagon, where he became a Foreign Affairs Specialist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense….A new path was soon to be revealed to him.
A fortuitous conversation with two Pentagon colleagues who happened to be Reserve Ensigns introduced him to the Navy Reserve Direct Commission Officers (DCO or DIRCOM) program. Mike had only ever heard of traditional active duty commissioning routes like Officer Candidate School, ROTC and the Naval Academy; and he wasn’t interested in leaving his Pentagon job to go on active duty. No need, his friends said; you can keep your civilian career and be a reserve intelligence officer, part time.
Even though Mike had no prior military service or experience in the intelligence community, his friends convinced him he could be competitive for a commission with his defense expertise, overseas experience and foreign language skill. So he submitted his package for consideration, successfully navigated the competitive selection process and swore in as a Navy Reserve Officer in 1995.
He then embarked on a dual service career; full time federal government civilian, part time as a Navy reservist. Like all reservists, he pursued the eternal balance of two careers, family and personal life.
Rear Admiral Brown is very open in his recollections of feeling “behind the curve” to other officers throughout much of his career. With no prior military service, he didn’t see himself as properly “sailorized”. As a result, he felt the need to constantly give 110%” to make up for this deficiency, in his own mind. In fact, he never stopped. Many Direct Commissioned Officers speak on similar feelings (this author, included) and wonder “Can I truly lead at the same level as my prior service colleagues?” Then….as time passes and experience leads to confidence, true leaders rise up, regardless of how they entered service.
Through 2 deployments, including Resolute Support in Afghanistan in 2015-16, multiple reserve unit commands tours and a regional command in charge of 30 units and 1,400 reservists he also maintained a successful and rewarding civilian employment and most importantly to him, a loving and fulfilling family life. Rear Admiral Mike Brown is certainly an inspiration and a road map to a successful Navy Reserve career.
He also hopes that current and future Direct Commission Officers (especially those with no prior military service) understand that they bring, in Brown’s words “exquisite and unique” civilian career experiences the Navy truly needs. It’s the primary reason the program exists; to tap those civilian skills to enhance the Navy skills spectrum.
He also speaks of that special moment in a DIRCOM officer’s career when her or his experiences come together and through leadership, finally “clicks”….. The realization hits, at last, that they can lead, operate and deliver as well as an active duty counterpart. It’s a watershed moment in a leader’s career that allows them to know they can succeed …that they are the best person for the mission at hand …and from that platform they can take their Navy career forward as high and as far as they want it to go, providing they honor and maintain that precarious balance that reservists shoulder, by definition.
Clearly, Rear Admiral Mike Brown had that moment. He built on it to achieve extraordinary success for himself, our Navy and our nation’s benefit.
He stands ever ready to help sailors find their moment, as well.
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2023 11:33 |
| Story ID: | 442685 |
| Location: | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 2,499 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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