Col. Matthew Braman, the 10th Mountain Division’s second in command, has been promoted to brigadier general.
What You Need To Know
- Now-Brigadier General Matthew Braman was promoted Friday, after nearly a year-long hold in Congress
- Braman has spent nearly 30 years leading soldiers, including two stops on Fort Drum, where he is now the deputy commander for support
- Braman helped operate the division during the last nine months, as commander Major General Gregory Anderson was deployed
- During that time, Braman also helped continue to grow the division's relationship with the North Country, highlighted by the water emergency in Watertown this past October
"The most important thing that my mentors have told me about being a general officer is to use your rank for good. So, the star gives me power to help soldiers. If I'm not doing that, then I'm not worth anything in the Army," Braman said.
Braman was first commissioned as an aviation officer in 1995.
"Growing up as the son of an aviator and the grandson of an aviator, it was something that no one told me I had to do, but I certainly wanted to," Braman added.
Braman first came to Fort Drum in 2014, assigned to lead the 2-10th Aviation Regiment through a deployment to Afghanistan.
"It was a very challenging deployment. We lost two soldiers before all of us even departed, our advance party. It's wonderful to see a unit come together and get through that," Braman added.
Serving a combined three years overseas, he also served in the National War College, the Pentagon and on installations across the country, before finally returning to the North Country.
"When they said, 'hey, we have an opportunity to return to Fort Drum in the North Country,' one, I was surprised. And two, I was blown away and happy," Brigadier General Braman said.
In his time back on Drum, Braman has served as the 10th Mountain’s deputy commander for support, helping guide the division as Major General Gregory Anderson was deployed and helping cultivate the division’s relationship with the North Country, most notably during the massive water main break in October that left the city of Watertown dry.
"To see our great soldiers come together with the community and we're all one big team here, it's pretty amazing," he said.
The path to the day was not easy for Braman or the Army.
Braman was one of more than 450 military officers that at one point or another saw their promotions held up nearly a full year by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R - Ala.) over the Pentagon's abortion policy. Tuberville dropped his hold in December, allowing promotions to move forward.
"It's nice to wear stars now, but it wasn't something that I needed. Soldiers did what they needed to do to make this division great. And I get to watch them do it last two years," he said.
Braman is now expecting to learn about his next duty station. He knows it won’t be on Fort Drum, but does hope to one day get back to the North Country.