Bryan Bean is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in numerous leadership positions in Special Operations Aviation, retiring in 2004 after a 20 year career. He earned a Master of Arts in Human Resource Management in 1993 and was a Distinguished Military Graduate of George Mason University in 1984.
Prior to entering the Special Operations community, he served as a senior trainer at the Joint Readiness Training Center and developed extensive experience in the design, conduct, evaluation and management of field training exercises. He served as an Attack Helicopter Company Commander and Platoon leader in the 7th Infantry Division (Light). Joining the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment on 1993, Bryan served two consecutive tours in 1st Battalion. He served as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Mission Commander for the Nation’s only Light Assault Helicopter unit. This assignment at the tactical level included numerous deployments including Operation Uphold Democracy. A truly Joint Officer, Bryan served as a Liaison Officer to a US Navy SEAL Team, and was responsible for maritime training and integration with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Following the Command and General Staff College, Bryan served as the Task Force Operations Officer for the Nation’s most deployable Aviation Task Force, synchronizing operations and training for multi-service units, other government agencies, and federal and local law enforcement. He planned and executed numerous sensitive deployments in support of high-priority missions in the Baltics, Middle East, and SOUTHCOM Areas of Responsibility.
Bryan finished his Active Duty career serving in the USSOCOM Assessment Directorate where he helped prioritize and allocate resources for the transformation of SOF following 9/11. Though selected to command an Assault Helicopter Battalion in the 101st Airborne Division, Bryan elected to retire and address important family issues. He has specialized training from a wide range of defense-related courses and institutions, including the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Joint Special Operations Planning Course, He holds the rating of Master Army Aviator.