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Rear Admiral Thomas L. Brown II (born 1960) is a United States Navy officer and is the first U.S. Naval officer to command Special Operations Command South based in Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.

Early years
Brown was born in Michigan but raised in Danbury, CT where his parents Thomas L. Brown and Marjorie G. Brown still reside. The elderly Brown is a retired U.S. Navy captain and served as a Naval Aviator flying the P-5 Marlin and P-3 Orion aircraft during his military career. After retiring from the military, Brown was a pilot for TWA. Rear Admiral Brown was commissioned as a Naval officer from the Univeristy of New Mexico's Naval Reserve Officer Training Course (NROTC) in 1983.

Military Career
Brown completed Underwater Demolition/ SEAL Training and Army Airborne School prior to his assignment to SEAL Team 5 in 1984. In 1987 he studied Spanish at DLI and then reported to SEAL Team 1 to serve as platoon commander and operations officer.

Brown’s assignments include SEAL Team 8 executive officer where he deployed as Naval Special Warfare Task Unit (NSWTU) commander NSWTU-Wasp under commander Amphibious Task Group 185.2; and then as commander NSWTU-America under CTF60. Brown commanded Naval Special Warfare Unit 4, Puerto Rico, under U.S. Southern Command from 1999-2001.

Brown’s other assignments include the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, United States Special Operations Command, and Navy section chief, U.S. Military Advisory Group El Salvador. In 2002 Brown reported to the Directorate of Operations of the Joint Staff, Deputy Directorate Special Operations, serving as the Global War on Terrorism branch chief until September 2005. He was then assigned as assistant chief of staff for Ops and Plans at Naval Special Warfare Command until June 2007, when he took command of Naval Special Warfare Group 1. Prior to commanding SOCSOUTH, Brown served as the deputy commander of Special Operations Command Europe.



Taking command of Special Operations Command South
On Sept 17, 2010, Brown officially took charge of U.S. special operations forces in Latin America as the commander of Special Operations Command South at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida. The command is part of U.S. Southern Command, which is based in Miami and oversees U.S. military operations in Latin America.[5] Brown was quoted during the change of command ceremony as saying "I look forward to working with the service members of SOCSOUTH. I've been nothing but impressed with the standard of this command."

Special Operations Command South oversees Special Forces, civil affairs and psychological operations missions in Latin America. The command manages more than 300 special operations personnel with an average of 25 missions in 15 countries at any given time.

Personal
RDML Brown is married to Stephanie Brown. The couple have two children, Devin and Thomas.

Brown graduated Tau Beta Pi with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, and is a distinguished graduate of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Master of Arts in International Relations with a concentration in Latin American and Strategic Studies. He also holds a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy and the DoD Chief Information Officer Certificate from the National Defense University.

Military awards and decorations
Among Brown's military awards and decorations are the following: Badges
 * US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Superior Service Medal (second award)
 * Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit
 * Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze Star with Valor Device
 * Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Meritorious Service Medal (second award)
 * Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
 * Joint Service Commendation ribbon.svg Joint Service Commendation Medal
 * Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg Commendation Medal (second award)
 * Us jointservachiev rib.svg Joint Service Achievement Medal
 * Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg Achievement Medal (second award)
 * Combat Action Ribbon.svg Combat Action Ribbion
 * Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg Joint Meritorious Unit Award
 * Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
 * Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon.svg Navy E Ribbion
 * Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg Southwest Asia Service ribbon
 * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
 * Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg Humanitarian Service ribbon
 * NATO Meritorious Service Medal bar.svg NATO Meritorious Service Medal.
 * U.S. Navy SEALs Special Warfare insignia.png Navy SEAL insignia.