Lieutenant Colonel Bradford is a native of Natchez, MS. He entered the Marine Corps in 2006 and initially served as an infantry rifleman, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Mississippi State University and commissioned through the Officer Candidate Course program in 2007.
Lieutenant Colonel Bradford’s Fleet Marine Force assignments include service as a rifle platoon commander, company executive officer, and company commander, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines; rifle and weapons company commander, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines; battalion executive officer, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines; and operations officer, 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Lieutenant Colonel Bradford’s supporting establishment assignments include command and staff roles at Wounded Warrior Battalion-East, Camp Lejeune, NC; Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and The Basic School, Quantico, VA.
Lieutenant Colonel Bradford’s operational experience includes deployments with the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2009, 2010, 2022, and 2024; combat operations in support of operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF), Afghanistan in 2011; a Unit Deployment Program deployment in support of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in 2015 – 2016; and a Black Sea Rotational Force deployment in support of U.S. European Command in 2017.
Lieutenant Colonel Bradford is a graduate of the Basic Officer Course (with honors), Infantry Officer Course, Expeditionary Warfare School, and the Marine Corps Command & Staff College (distinguished graduate) where he earned a Master’s in Military Studies and graduate certificate in Sea Power Strategy.
Lieutenant Colonel Bradford most recently served within the G3 current operations section of II Marine Expeditionary Force.