JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
After over 38 years of service, Gen. Gary M. Brito, commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, is set to retire this year, making him the 18th and final TRADOC commanding general as the Army prepares to establish the U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command.
A native of Hyannis, Massachusetts, Brito left his hometown in 1982 for Pennsylvania State University in Altoona, where he studied Community and Economic Development. Initially, he had no intention of joining the military until he came across an Army ROTC pamphlet at an information booth on campus.
“My intention then was to have an extracurricular activity. I liked doing outdoor activities, so I figured I would give it a shot,” he explained.
In 1985, Brito attended cadet summer training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where his decision to serve in the Army was solidified.
With several relatives that served as far back as WWII, Brito is the first to make a career of it when he commissioned as an infantry officer and entered active duty in March 1987.
Since then, Brito has served in a variety of command and staff assignments, to include commanding general, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning; and deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army, G-1.
Brito’s retirement comes at a time of great transition for the Army, as it works to bring together key efforts of TRADOC and Army Futures Command into a unified headquarters responsible for force generation, force design, and force development.
Brito expressed his excitement for this new chapter and emphasized the importance of supporting the Army’s strategy and transformation as it evolves.
“This is not a chapter of history that I thought I would be in, but I’m very proud to be,” he shared. “What this command has done for the past 52 plus years, and why it was established, will still carry on. The talent of the uniformed and the civilian professionals in this organization will endure and continue to remain critical to Army readiness.”
During his time as the 18th TRADOC commanding general, Brito led multiple initiatives in support of the greater Army, including the establishment of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, updates to the Holistic Health and Fitness initiative, and the expansion of data literacy training.
His dedication to the continuous education of Army professionals materialized in the development of the Harding Project, a Chief of Staff of the Army initiative to revitalize professional military discourse, and the creation of Line of Departure, an online database providing users with a single point of entry to all Army branch journal publications.
While reflecting on the qualities he believes are the most important in an Army leader, the first three were humility, empathy, and selfless service.
“These will put you on a path to be a successful leader. And, over the years, you’ll learn that you’re not doing this for yourself; you’re doing it for those that you serve,” he explained.
Brito shared that these values were engrained in him early on, remembering one particular Soldier who stood out to him in his very first week on the job.
“I was a brand-new 2nd Lieutenant and a Master Sergeant who was out-processing put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Always work for your Soldiers, never work for your evaluation, and everything’s going to be fine.’ To this day, I use that as a guide to do the right thing,” he revealed.
Brito also stated that growing up in the close-knit rural town of Hyannis greatly influenced his work ethic and leadership values from a young age.
“Everybody mattered, and we learned at a young age to treat people with respect and value their input regardless of their station in life,” he shared.
Throughout his years of service, Brito had one steady source of support – his wife, Michelle Brito, who has been there with him from the very start.
“We have been married for 38 years, and she’s been with me from commissioning on. I started the journey with her and will finish the journey with her,” he shared.
Brito and his wife have also built a family legacy of service with their two sons, one serving active duty and the other as an Army Civilian.
When asked what his proudest moment was during his time in the Army, Brito stated it was seeing the Army professionals he had worked with over the years grow and advance in their careers.
“There’s nothing more gratifying than to know there’s a great bench of young leaders behind you to continue to carry the mantle,” he shared.
After retirement, Brito looks forward to spending quality time with his wife and kids and visiting with family back in Massachusetts.
“My visits have been very quick in the past because of the job, so I’m looking forward to spending some slow-paced time back home in the near future,” he stated.
Brito also plans to continue his service to the community as a Soldier for Life, finding opportunities to mentor young Soldiers.