{{Short description|American retired naval officer (born 1960)}} {{Infobox military person | name = Brian L. Losey | image = RDML Brian L. Losey.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey in his official United States Navy photo. | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|11|11}} | birth_place = Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United States of America | branch = United States Navy | service_years = 1983–2016 | rank = Rear Admiral | unit = | commands = Naval Special Warfare Command<br />Special Operations Command Africa<br />Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa Naval Special Warfare Development Group SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 | battles = War in Afghanistan<br />Iraq War | awards = Navy Distinguished Service Medal<br />Defense Superior Service Medal (3) | relations = | other_work = }} '''Brian Lee Losey'''<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/102nd-congress/1420 |title=PN1420 — Navy |date=October 6, 1992 |website=U.S. Congress |access-date=2019-02-21}}</ref> (born November 11, 1960) is a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy. He headed the Naval Special Warfare Command from 2013 until his retirement in 2016. Losey is a native of Tacoma, Washington.
==Education== A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, class of 1983, Losey also holds a Master's degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, which he received in 2004. He is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute, the Armed Forces Staff College, and Air Command and Staff College.<ref>{{cite web|title=US Navy Biographies – Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey|url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=532|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205141055/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=532|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2010|publisher=United States Navy|access-date=4 May 2011}}</ref>
==Navy Career== He attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., and graduated from BUD/S class 126 in 1984 and was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE (SDVT-1). His operational assignments have included a full range of duties in SEAL Teams, SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Teams and Special Boat Teams, and deployments to named and contingency operations around the world. Losey served with Special Boat Unit 26 from 1990 to 1992 before receiving an assignment to Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) and completing a specialized selection and training course known as green team in 1993. At DEVGRU he had served as an operations officer and assault group commander. Losey commanded SDVT-1 from 2001 to 2003 and served as deputy commander, then commanding officer of DEVGRU from 2005 to 2007.
Other assignments include: duty as deputy commander, Naval Special Warfare Task Group, U.S. 6th Fleet; Maritime Operations officer and deputy chief of Current Operations in the Joint Special Operations Command; and U.S. 7th Fleet Special Warfare officer in USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19). He served in the Executive Office of the President as a director on the National Security Council Staff bridging two administrations.<ref>[http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/6r%20-%20March%2014,%202014%20-%20Rear%20Admiral%20Brian%20Losey.pdf Interview Of Rear Admiral Brian Losey] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191358/http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/6r%20-%20March%2014%2C%202014%20-%20Rear%20Admiral%20Brian%20Losey.pdf |date=March 4, 2016 }}, Executive Session, Committee On Oversight And Government Reform, Joint with the Committee On Armed Services, Subcommittee On Oversight And Investigations, U.S. House Of Representatives, Washington, D.C</ref> On December 14, 2011, the U.S. Senate confirmed Losey's appointment as rear admiral (lower half).
Losey assumed command of Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, CA in June 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.public.navy.mil/nsw/Leadership/Pages/Commander.aspx |title=NSW Leadership: Commander Naval Special Warfare Command Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey, USN |access-date=2015-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224013104/http://www.public.navy.mil/NSW/Leadership/Pages/Commander.aspx |archive-date=2017-12-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Previously he was Commander, Special Operations Command Africa and Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HoA), Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. <ref>[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r112:S14DE1-0062: Senate, Executive session, December 14, 2011]{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Congressional Record 112th Congress (2011–2012)</ref> On March 21, 2016, the Navy announced that Losey was being denied promotion to rear admiral (upper half) following the Inspector General's review of allegations of retaliation taken against subordinates (see detail below). The U.S. Senate blocked Losey's promotion based on these retaliation claims that were confirmed by the Pentagon's Inspector General. The Navy had sought to disregard those findings by promoting Losey before the Senate intervened, effectively ending Losey's career.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sdut-seal-admiral-losey-retirement-2016mar25-story.html|title=Navy SEAL admiral's rare, public punishment|date=26 March 2016|newspaper=San Diego Union-Tribune|access-date=25 October 2021}}</ref>
Based on the recommendations provided by the Board for Correction of Naval Records, then Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, approved the retroactive promotion of Losey to January 12, 2017. The retroactive date was set to Losey's eligibility date to two-star rear admiral.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Whitlock|first=Craig|date=March 31, 2017|title=Navy promotes SEAL commander in defiance of Congress|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/navy-promotes-seal-commander-in-defiance-of-congress/2017/03/31/ef4e1912-13c7-11e7-833c-503e1f6394c9_story.html|access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref> Along with his promotion to second star, Rear Admiral Losey received back pay and an increase to his annual military retirement pension.<ref name=":0" /> The accelerated review in 7 weeks and final week memo by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus granting the promotion were widely criticized by members of Congress and Naval law observers.<ref name=":0" />
Losey is an Advisory Board Member of Spirit of America, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports the safety and success of Americans serving abroad and the local people and partners they seek to help.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://spiritofamerica.org/staff/admiral-brian-losey |title=Rear Admiral Brian Losey | Spirit of America |access-date=2019-04-09 |archive-date=2019-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409182139/https://spiritofamerica.org/staff/admiral-brian-losey |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Losey appeared in the 2024 documentary In Waves and War, which deals with the struggles of veterans with PTSD, and alternative therapies.<ref>{{cite web |title=In Waves and War|url=https://www.inwavesandwarfilm.com/|website=inwavesandwar.com |access-date=April 6, 2026}}</ref>
==Retaliation complaints== In 2011–2015, the Department of Defense Inspector General (DOD IG) investigated and upheld three out of five whistle-blower retaliation complaints against Admiral Losey after questioning 100 witnesses and amassing 300,000 pages of records.
According to ''The Washington Post'', Losey "was investigated five times by the Defense Department’s inspector general after subordinates complained that he had wrongly fired, demoted or punished them during a vengeful but fruitless hunt for the person who had anonymously reported him for a minor travel-policy infraction."<ref>Craig Whitlock. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/powerful-admiral-punishes-suspected-whistleblowers-still-gets-promotion/2015/10/21/8a9e757e-7342-11e5-8248-98e0f5a2e830_story.html Powerful admiral punishes suspected whistleblowers, still gets promotion], The Washington Post, October 21, 2015</ref>
The DOD IG found that Admiral Losey wrongly believed there was "a conspiracy to undermine his command". Inspector General recommended that the Navy discipline Losey for violating whistleblower-protection laws. Navy leadership reviewed the DOD Inspector General report and concluded that "none of the allegations rose to the level of misconduct on Admiral Losey’s part."<ref>{{cite web|title=Admiral punished suspected whistleblowers, is still poised for promotion|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/us/admiral-punished-suspected-whistleblowers-is-still-poised-for-promotion-1.374334|work=Stars and Stripes|date=21 October 2015|access-date=23 October 2015}}</ref>
In a statement to the Congressional Record in December 2015, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) said he had placed a hold on the nomination of Janine Davidson, a former Pentagon official and Air Force pilot, to become the next Navy undersecretary until the service reconsidered its decision not to punish Admiral Losey for his violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.<ref>Craig Whitlock. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senator-pressures-navy-to-take-action-against-admiral-in-charge-of-seals/2015/12/18/62a113ec-a5b5-11e5-9c4e-be37f66848bb_story.html Senator pressures Navy to take action against admiral in charge of SEALs], The Washington Post, December 19, 2015.</ref> In April, 2016 the Navy decided to not promote Losey, paving the way for Davidson's appointment.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/13/inside-the-takedown-of-the-top-navy-seal.html|title=Inside the Takedown of the Top Navy SEAL|last=Dozier|first=Kimberly|date=2016-05-13|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref>
== Substantive support == William H. McRaven called him “without a doubt one of the finest officers with whom I have ever served. Over the past 15 years no officer I know in the SEAL Teams has given more to this country than Brian.”<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/04/25/commander-of-bin-laden-raid-blasts-senate-for-disrespecting-military-leaders/|title=Commander of bin Laden raid blasts Senate for disrespecting military leaders|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref> He described it as an example of a “disturbing trend in how politicians abuse and denigrate military leadership, particularly the officer corps, to advance their political agendas.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tbo.com/list/news-opinion-commentary/william-mcraven-a-warriors-career-sacrificed-for-politics-20160424/|title=William McRaven: A warrior's career sacrificed for politics|access-date=2016-07-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125041944/https://www.tbo.com/list/news-opinion-commentary/william-mcraven-a-warriors-career-sacrificed-for-politics-20160424/|archive-date=2018-11-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On the House floor, Retired SEAL officer-turned-Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-MT), rejected claims that Losey retaliated. “He saw a problem and took action”. “Once again, an entrusted, entrenched bureaucracy was allowed to hide behind threats, hide behind whistleblowers, hide behind rules that were intended to protect command and not to erode it.”<ref name=autogenerated1 />
==Awards and decorations== Brian L. Losey received multiple awards and recognitions:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/315208|title=Brian Losey - Recipient -|website=Valor.militarytimes.com|access-date=25 October 2021}}</ref> {| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" | colspan="3"|200px |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{ribbon devices|number=3|type=award-star|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=award-star|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Joint Service Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|other_device=|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=oak|ribbon=Us jointservachiev rib.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=award-star|ribbon=Combat Action Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award (USMC and USN frame).svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korea Defense Service ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=9|type=service-star|ribbon=Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=United States Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=United States Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=USAF Marksmanship ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Air Force Training Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |colspan="3"|200px |- |colspan="3"|120px |} {{clear}} {| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |- !Badge |colspan="6"|SEAL Insignia |- !1st Row |colspan="2"|Navy Distinguished Service Medal |colspan="2"|Defense Superior Service Medal w/ 2 oak leaf clusters |colspan="2"|Bronze Star w/ 3 award stars |- !2nd Row |colspan="2"|Defense Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 oak leaf clusters |colspan="2"|Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 award stars |colspan="2"|Joint Service Commendation Medal |- !3rd Row |colspan="2"|Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ 1 award star |colspan="2"|Joint Service Achievement Medal w/ 3 oak leaf clusters |colspan="2"|Combat Action Ribbon w/ 2 award stars |- !4th Row |colspan="2"|Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 service star |colspan="2"|Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 3 oak leaf clusters |colspan="2"|Navy Unit Commendation ribbon w/ 1 service star |- !5th Row |colspan="2"|Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 1 service star |colspan="2"|Navy Expeditionary Medal |colspan="2"|National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star |- !6th Row |colspan="2"|Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/ 3 service stars |colspan="2"|Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ 2 campaign stars |colspan="2"|Iraq Campaign Medal w/ 2 campaign stars |- !7th Row |colspan="2"|Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |colspan="2"|Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |colspan="2"|Korea Defense Service Medal |- !8th Row |colspan="2"|Armed Forces Service Medal w/ 2 service stars |colspan="2"|Humanitarian Service Medal |colspan="2"|Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 9 service stars |- !9th Row |colspan="2"|Overseas Service Ribbon w/ 2 service stars |colspan="2"|NATO Medal w/ 2 service star |colspan="2"|Rifle Marksmanship Medal w/ Expert device |- !10th Row |colspan="2"|Pistol Marksmanship Medal w/ Expert device |colspan="2"|Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon w/ 1 service star |colspan="2"|Air Force Training Ribbon |- !Badge | colspan="6"|Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia |- !Badge | colspan="6"|Presidential Service Badge |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Brian L. Losey}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101205141055/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=532 Rear Admiral Brian L. Losey Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command], ''United States Navy Biography''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Losey, Brian L.}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:Military personnel from Tacoma, Washington Category:United States Air Force Academy alumni Category:American military personnel of Japanese descent Category:SEAL Team Six personnel Category:National War College alumni Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Category:United States Navy admirals