Lieutenant commander John Bright joined USIP in June 2013 as a Navy Fellow to work on Afghan issues for one year before he redeploys to Kabul for a second tour.
He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1997 with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering.
His career as a Naval Flight Officer included assignments to Sea Control Squadron Two-Nine (VS-29), (March 2000 to March 2003); Training Squadron Eighty Six (VT-86) as a Strike NFO Instructor (March 2003 to March 2006); Airborne Early Warning Command and Control Squadron 126 (VAW-126) as a Air Control Officer (ACO) and Combat Information Center Officer (CICO) (July 2007 to November 2008); and NATO E-3A AWACS Squadron Two as a TD/ Mission Commander (May 2009 to August 2011).
LCDR Bright has flown combat support missions in Operation Enduring Freedom (September-December 2001), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2007-2008), Operation Afghan Assist (January-March 2011), and the beginning weeks of Operation Unified Protector of the Libyan Anti-Qaddafi revolution (April-May 2011), and on various Operation Active Endeavor missions patrolling the Mediterranean for illicit smugglers. He flew on the first cycle of missions on October 7th, 2001 as well as on the first ever NATO AWACS detachment to be based out of Mazar-i-Sharif in January 2011.
LCDR Bright’s various ground duties have included: Operations Officer, NATO Squadron Two, Chief of Mission Planning, and OIC of the U.S. Navy Element, Geilenkirchen, Germany, Safety Department Head and Aviation Safety Officer (VAW-126), Student Control Officer for Training Wing Six, NFO NATOPS Officer and Head Scheduler (VT-86), Information Technology Officer, Scheduler and Operations Officer, and Ordnance Branch Officer (VS-29). In 2004-2005, LCDR Bright served as an Individual Augmentee to the U.S. Mil-Group, U.S. Embassy Bogotá, Colombia as a Naval Liaison Affairs Officer as part of Plan Colombia.
He is a recipient of various personal and campaign awards including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), the Air Medal (4 awards), the Navy Commendation Medal (2 awards), the Joint Achievement Medal (1 award), and the Navy Achievement Medal (2 awards). He is fluent in Spanish and has a basic knowledge of Afghan Farsi (Dari) and is a graduate of the Naval War College’s JPME I program.
LCDR Bright is assigned to Naval District Washington, D.C., as an Afghanistan-Pakistan Hand (AfPak Hand). On his first of two deployments to HQ ISAF, Kabul, Afghanistan, he worked in both the Force Reintegration Cell (FRIC) and on the CJ3 staff. At the FRIC he was the ISAF Liaison Officerfor Human Resources and Capacity Building to the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program (APRP) where he liaised with the High Peace Council and the executive arm of the Joint Secretariat. While on the HQ ISAF Deputy of Operations CJ3 staff he was a plankowner of the Insider Threat Mitigation Team where he coordinated Counter-Intelligence, Force Protection, and Cultural Awareness efforts with both coalition members as well as strategic partners within the Afghan National Security Forces.
