Speakers
Mr. Paul D. Brown
Deputy Director of Logistics, U.S. AFRICA Command
Mr. Paul D. Brown was commissioned through ROTC into the Army Infantry in 1985 with his first assignment in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 3/327th Infantry Regiment.
Mr. Brown attended the Quartermaster Advanced Course in 1990 followed by an assignment to the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) Sinai, Egypt. He returned to the 101st Airborne Division as the Division Support Command Plans and Operations Officer and commanded a Light Maintenance in the 801st Main Support Battalion (1993-1994).
In 1994-95 he attended the Army Logistics Executive Development Course and the Florida Institute of Technology where he earned a Master of Science in Logistics Management. He remained at Fort Lee as a developer for Army logistics automations systems. During that assignment he deployed to Bosnia in support of Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR.
After completing Command and General Staff College in 1998 he was assigned as U. S. Army-Europe Forward Deputy Logistics Officer in Taszar, Hungary supporting Operation JOINT FORGE. He then reported to Bamberg, Germany to become the Support Operations Officer for 71st Corps Support Battalion. He deployed to Albania in 1999 as the Support Operations Officer of the 7th Corps Support Group for Task Force HAWK. Following his assignment in Germany, Mr. Brown was posted from 2000 to 2003 as Deputy Chief of Staff G3/4 for U.S. Army NATO located at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) located in Mons, Belgium.
In July 2003, Mr. Brown assumed command of the 485th Corps Support Battalion deployed to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and redeployed to Hanau, Germany in March 2004. In January 2006 he returned to Iraq with V Corps Headquarters as the Logistics Plans and Operations Officer for Multi-National Corps-Iraq followed by a year of studies at the U. S. Army War College. Following the War College, Mr. Brown served as the Capabilities Division Chief for the Joint Staff J4. During this assignment he was the Chair for the Logistics Functional Capabilities Board, was the project lead for the Joint Concept for Logistics.
His final assignment in uniform was as the Director of Future Operations for Army Materiel Command (AMC) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama where he designed a plan to transition AMC from dependency on specialized wartime funding, to stabilize the workforce, and optimize fiscal resources without sacrificing Army readiness. Colonel Brown retired in May 2014 from the Army after 34 years of service. In May 2014 Mr. Brown accepted a Department of the Army Civilian position at U. S. Africa Command, as Deputy Director for Logistics, J4 for US Africa Command.
Mr. Brown has earned the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, the Defense Superior Service Medal, five Meritorious Service Medals, the Airborne Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Ranger Tab. He is married to Beth Johansen and they have three adult children and four grandchildren.