Vice Admiral Brad Cooper

Commander

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper is the son of a career Army officer. He is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University. He has also studied national security policy and international relations at Harvard and Tufts Universities.

A career Surface Warfare Officer, he served on guided-missile cruisers, guided-missile destroyers, aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. His ship commands include USS Russell (DDG 59) and USS Gettysburg (CG 64). Cooper is particularly proud of the extraordinary men and women with whom he served on sea duty during nine deployments and 13 real-world operations all around the globe. His amazing Sailors aboard Gettysburg earned the Battenberg Cup as the best ship, submarine or aircraft carrier in the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet.

Ashore, he served in a variety of executive, military assistant and special assistant roles in the White House, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters. He also served as principal U.S. Advisor to the Interior Minister of Afghanistan and Director, Surface Warfare Officer assignments (Pers-41).

As a flag officer, he most recently served as commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic. Previous tours include service as Chief of Legislative Affairs, where he led the Navy’s engagement efforts with the U.S. Congress; commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea during the height of tensions on the Korean Peninsula in 2016-2017; and, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7 in Okinawa, Japan, where he led 7th Fleet’s Navy and Marine Corps team on the U.S. military’s first F-35 deployment.

Cooper has been recognized with various personal and unit-level awards including the Distinguished Service Medal and Bronze Star Medal. He is a recipient of the Admiral Elmo Zumwalt Award for Visionary Leadership.

 

Commodore Philip Dennis

Deputy Commander

Phil Dennis joined the Royal Navy in 1995, his early career was spent in destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers deployed on operations to the Adriatic and Middle East. In 2009 he took the role of Deputy Staff Officer Operations to the UKMCC in Bahrain, returning in 2010 as command of HMS MIDDLETON and in 2011 as command of HMS QUORN. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the September 2012 Operational Honours and Awards List.

After completing the Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2013 he worked on the Middle East Operations Team at the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood. He commanded HMS DARING from May 2014 until January 2017, culminating in a deployment to the Middle East. This busy operational period saw the ship operate in the Bab al Mandeb to protect allied shipping at the height of the Yemen crisis.

As the Navy’s Fleet Operations Officer at Northwood HQ from 2017 to 2019, he supported the United Kingdom’s response in the Caribbean to hurricanes IRMA and MARIA, along with persistent operations in the North Atlantic. On promotion to Captain, he joined the staff of the Commander Amphibious Task Group as the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff. He deployed to the Caribbean as Task Group Commander in RFA ARGUS in April 2020 as part of an enhanced national response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He assumed Command as UKMCC in Bahrain in January 2023.

He is a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies and a graduate of the US Naval War College CFMCC Flag Course.

He is the secretary of the Royal Navy Destroyer Club and is married with one young daughter.

 

Commander Douglas Raineault

Chief of Staff

Commander Douglas Raineault is a native of Middletown, Connecticut.  He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2003.

His first sea tour was as Ordnance Officer and Strike Officer in USS WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG 81).  Next, he served as Navigator in USS NORMANDY (CG 60).  He completed his Department Head tours in USS PORTER (DDG 78) as Weapons Officer and Combat Systems Officer.  He served as Executive Officer in USS CARNEY (DDG 64) in Rota, Spain from May 2019 to October 2020 during which time CARNEY received the Battle Efficiency award and completed a home port shift to Mayport, Florida.  He commanded USS CARNEY from December 2020 to June 2022.  He assumed duties as Chief of Staff for the Combined Maritime Forces in June 2022.

Ashore, he served as a Naval Science Instructor at Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Following his Department Head tours he served as the Academic Director for Fleet Training at the Surface Warfare Officers School Command in Newport, Rhode Island and Navy Integration Cell Lead at Missile Defense Agency Headquarters in Fort Belvoir, VA.

Commander Raineault holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Engineering degree in Engineering Management from Cornell University.

 

Sergeant Major Cortez L. Brown

Command Senior Enlisted Leader

Sergeant Major Cortez L. Brown was born in East Saint Louis, Illinois, and he enlisted into the Marine Corps on 19 August 1988 from Denver, Colorado. In September 1988, upon graduation from Lincoln Sr. High School, he reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego, California, for recruit training.

He graduated from MCRD San Diego in December 1988 and reported to the School of Infantry (SOI) at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton, California. After completion of the SOI, Pvt Brown was assigned to Marine Barracks Guam, Marine Security Guard Force Marinna Inlands and became a Marine Security Guard. In September 1990, LCpl Brown reported for duty with Company C, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (1/9), MCB Camp Pendleton, California, as an infantry rifleman.  

While with 1/9, LCpl Brown deployed with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and participated in Operation FIERY  VIGIL as well as Operations DESERT STORM and SHIELD. In September 1992, as a newly promoted corporal, he was involuntarily separated from the Marine Corps as a result of Marine Corps Forces Reduction.  

In February 1996, Sgt Brown was afforded the opportunity to come back on active duty as a lance corporal. After reporting to Meridian, Mississippi, he obtained the new military occupation specialty of Maintenance Administration  Specialist. After graduating from Maintenance Administration School, he reported to Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron  (HMH) 465, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Tustin, California, for duty. He served as a Maintenance Administration Clerk.  In November 1996, he was promoted to the rank of corporal. From March 1997 to August 1999, Cpl Brown was part of two six-month unit deployment programs with HMH-465 to MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, Japan.  

In November 1998, while on deployment in Okinawa, Japan, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and became a noncommissioned officer-in-charge (NCOIC) of the Squadron Data Analyst for HMH-465. In 1999, Sgt Brown was assigned the billet of Central Technical Publications Librarian. In September 2000, he was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. In  April 2001, SSgt Brown volunteered for drill instructor duty and attended Drill Instructor School at MCRD San Diego,  California. After graduating from Drill Instructor School, SSgt Brown was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, where he completed 10 cycles and held the billets of Senior Drill Instructor and Series Chief Drill Instructor.  

In September 2004, after successful completion of his tour as a drill instructor, SSgt Brown received orders to Marine  Aircraft Logistic Squadron-16 at MCAS Miramar, California. Upon arrival, he was re-assigned to HMH-465, MCAS Miramar,  California, to assume the duty of Maintenance Administration Chief. During his time with HMH-465, he deployed twice to  Iraq. In September 2005, while on his second deployment in Iraq, Operation IRAQ FREEDOM 05-08, he was promoted to the rank of gunnery sergeant. In January 2008, GySgt Brown was hand-selected to become the Marine Aircraft Group-16  Personnel Support Detachment acting first sergeant. After assuming this position, he deployed for the third time to Al Asad,  Iraq.  

In March 2009, after returning from Al Asad, he was promoted to the rank of first sergeant with an assignment to 23rd  Marine Regiment in San Bruno, California. He was assigned as the site first sergeant, where he performed Inspector and  Instructor (1&1) duties for both Headquarters Company and Company E, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines. During this period,  1st Sgt Brown received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/Management from Columbia Southern University in 2011. 1st Sgt Brown remained at this command until August 2012. In September 2012, 1st Sgt Brown received orders to  5th Battalion, 11th Marines (5/11), 1st Marine Division, at MCB Camp Pendleton, California, for duties as a Battery First  Sergeant for Tango Battery.  

In May 2013, 1st Sgt Brown was promoted to his current rank of sergeant major and received orders to become the  Battalion Sergeant Major for 1st Battalion, 11th Marines (1/11). In December 2015, SgtMaj Brown stood detached from  1/11 and reported to Recruiting Station (RS) Charleston in December 2015 to assume all duties as the RS Sergeant Major. In  June 2017, SgtMaj Brown received orders to 6th Marine Corps District (6MCD) to assume all duties and responsibilities as the District Sergeant Major. In July 2019, SgtMaj Brown assumed all duties and responsibilities as the sergeant major of  Marine Corps Recruiting Command. In August 2021, SgtMaj Brown received orders to Combined Maritime Forces  Command (CMF), Manama, Bahrain, for duties as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL).  

His personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with 2 gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps  Commendation Medal with 2 gold stars, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a gold star.