Captain Bradley Geary

Captain Bradley Geary is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer whose 25-year career in Naval Special Warfare reflects leadership, operational expertise, and a commitment to ethics-based service. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Geary earned his SEAL trident with Class 234, a class featured in a Discovery Channel documentary series. The events of September 11 shifted his initial career plans, setting the course for a military career spanning multiple continents and commands.

Geary's service included deployments to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America, where he held roles in units such as SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team TWO, SEAL Team FOUR, and Naval Special Warfare Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron THREE. His commands include SEAL Team 4, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams 1 and 2, and Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command (BUD/S), where he was responsible for training all Navy SEALs. Geary also served as a troop commander at Naval Special Warfare Development Group. He holds a master's degree in defense analysis and has spent his career training, leading, and mentoring personnel in special operations and military leadership.

Geary received the Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership, the U.S. Navy's highest leadership honor, and was named the Naval Special Warfare recipient of the USO Metro Salute to USSOCOM Award. These honors reflect a career defined by operational achievement and the development of high-performing, values-driven teams. His message centers on the importance of principles, people, and culture, and how leaders can foster resilience, trust, and moral clarity in challenging environments.

Following his military service, Geary faced scrutiny after the death of a candidate during "Hell Week" at BUD/S, which led to investigations into the program and medical oversight. Geary underwent a series of inquiries that placed his career and SEAL Trident at risk. The Navy ultimately dismissed the cases against the SEAL commanders involved. Geary has since spoken about the experience, the BUD/S controversy, political pressures, and leadership challenges within Naval Special Warfare, as well as his efforts to uphold the integrity of the SEAL Teams.

As a professional speaker, leadership consultant, and author, Geary draws on his experiences in combat, organizational transformation, and mentoring to provide C-suite leaders with strategies for applying leadership principles to diverse organizational cultures. His story, spanning from BUD/S training to senior leadership roles in Naval Special Warfare and through a public test of moral courage, positions him as a credible voice in leadership, military ethics, and organizational resilience.