Adm. Bradley, respected Navy SEAL leader under scrutiny for double-tap strike, set to brief lawmakers

By Haley Britzky, Zachary Cohen, CNN

(CNN) — As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.

He’s also no stranger to strikes and the legal requirements surrounding classified operations, several sources who served with him told CNN.

Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, a Navy SEAL officer who now leads US Special Operations Command, heads to Capitol Hill on Thursday to brief members of Congress on what happened as part of that September 2 strike as well as the way the military is carrying out its campaign that has destroyed more than 20 boats and killed 83.

In recent days, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has pinned responsibility for the follow-on strike on Bradley, who was the commander of Joint Special Operations Command at the time of the strike.

People briefed on the strike say that the Defense Department has been making the case that the survivors were still “in the fight” because they appeared to be radioing for help and could have theoretically continued trafficking the drugs if they’d been rescued. Bradley is expected to make a similar case to lawmakers on Thursday and will show the video of the operation, an official said.

Bradley is broadly respected by Republicans and Democrats alike, and sources who served alongside him or under him praised him as a quintessential Naval officer.

A source familiar with Bradley described him as stoic, meticulous, and “very level-headed.” He has largely approached the idea of speaking with Congress positively and with an understanding that this is what the job requires, the source said.

For much of his career he has avoided the spotlight, consistent with the approach taken by most special operators who undertake highly classified missions. But ultimately, he would rather it be he who bears the responsibility for answering questions about military strikes to Congress than someone more junior, they said.

“He’s a guy who has done thousands of strikes over his career,” the source familiar said. “This was his 37th month at [Joint Special Operations Command] — he knew what he was doing.”

‘Gold Standard’

Bradley is likely to face a slew of questions over the legality of the September 2 strike, as well as the more than 20 other strikes carried out against alleged drug boats.

He is intimately familiar with maritime law given his experience as a SEAL commander, the source familiar with him said. A source who served under Bradley in the military said that he consistently consulted with the command’s lawyers during operations like hostage rescue and counter-terrorism missions.

A senior military officer who served alongside Bradley told CNN “they simply don’t make better people” than him.

“He is a leader of courage, integrity, professionalism and unmatched skill,” the officer said. “He is also smart as hell and a master communicator. He’s the gold standard not just for the Navy and Naval Special Warfare – but for the military profession of arms.”

A 1991 Naval Academy graduate, Bradley has commanded Joint Special Operations Command; the command responsible for special operations in the Middle East, Special Operations Command Central; and Naval Special Warfare Development Group, or SEAL Team Six. He also “worked counternarcotics missions across South and Central America,” according to testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year, and served as the executive officer for former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford.

Bradley and his wife are both from military families; she the daughter of a Vietnam veteran and infantry officer, and he the son of an Army Air Corps Master Sergeant and World War II veteran, according to his opening statement at his confirmation hearing this summer. The two have four children, including one son who is also a SEAL.

The source familiar with Bradley told CNN he’s “not one of those people that has bad relationships or bad blood with people,” and he generally puts people at ease.

The source who served under Bradley described him as “cool, calm, and deliberative” when in command, not overly talkative or someone who sought praise and attention for his actions.

That’s a reputation that extends to lawmakers.

Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said Tuesday he is “a highly decorated, highly respected” officer. Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said Bradley has a “stellar reputation” and said any decision to carry out a follow-on strike is the fault of the culture fostered by Hegseth and Trump.

“This is the kind of thing that happens when you have a president who says we’re going to go out and kill people. It’s not what presidents normally say,” Kelly said. “And when you have an unqualified secretary of defense, a guy who has basically zero qualifications for this job that runs around on a stage you know, talking about lethality and warrior ethos and killing people, and we’re going to hunt and kill people.”

Lawmaker briefings

While little known to the public for most of his military career, Bradley’s name and image have suddenly become ubiquitous as the Trump administration tries to explain what happened during the attack on September 2.

CNN previously reported that a source familiar with the strikes said that Defense secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military to ensure everyone on the boat was killed, but it was not clear if he knew there were survivors before a second strike was carried out.

Hegseth and his spokespeople railed against reporting of the second strike, with Hegseth calling it “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting.” Just days later, however, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the second strike occurred, and said Bradley was the one who ordered it.

Hours after Leavitt’s comments, Hegseth appeared to shift responsibility for the strike, posting on social media that he stands by Bradley “and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.” And on Tuesday, during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said he saw only the initial strike live before leaving to attend to other meetings. He said he learned about the second strike hours later.

Some officials, including Republican and Democrats alike, have seen Hegseth’s comments as an attempt to distance himself from the decision to strike again, placing the responsibility solely on Bradley amid questions around the operation’s legality.

Bradley will face lawmakers who will expect him to provide an honest accounting of what occurred during the September 2 operation, and who will undoubtedly grill him in the classified briefings on the orders he both received and gave as part of the strikes.

A personal friend of Bradley’s described him to CNN as someone who “exemplifies honor and integrity.”

“Admiral Bradley is an exceptional human being,” the friend said.

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