Master Gunnery Sergeant Brownlee graduated from Parris Island, South Carolina in 1998 and then attended the School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, North Carolina to become a Mortarman. From November 1998 to November 1999, he was assigned as a Squad Leader to Rifle Security Company Windward, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He served as an 81 mm gun team leader and provided periods of instruction ranging from civil disturbance to mortar gunnery.
From November 1999 to August 2002, MGySgt Brownlee was assigned to 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion where he served as a Reconnaissance Marine maintaining billets from Radio Operator to Team Leader. He served two deployments with 2d Recon BN. The first to participate in Operation Relentless Denial in Kosovo and the second to Africa and the Middle East.
From August 2002 to July 2005, he was assigned to 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company as a Force Recon Marine. He served two combat deployments with 2d Force Recon Company. The first was with Task Force Tarawa in OIF I to Iraq. The second was with the 24th MEU (SOC), Force Recon Platoon in OIF 2-4 in Iraq.
From July 2005 to May 2007 MGySgt Brownlee attended the Arabic Basic Course and Iraqi Dialect Transition Course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA where he became a military interpreter and translator.
From May 2007 to November 2008, he served with Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion, serving as an Element Leader for Marine Special Operations Company H. Here he served on a combat deployment to Afghanistan.
From November 2008 to May 2010, he was assigned to Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, Marine Special Operations School where he served as an Assessment and Selection instructor as well as the Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for the Language Branch which he helped form. During this time he also served as the Command Language Program Manager for the Marine Special Operations School.
From March 2012 to November 2014, he was assigned to Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command where he served as the Future Operations Chief and Site Controller for full spectrum mission rehearsal exercises.
From December 2016 to December 2020, he was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve, Readiness Support Program-1, where he served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor.
From December 2020 to April 2023, he was assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command G-7 as the Future Operations Chief.
From December 2011 to April 2023, MGySgt Brownlee also served with Headquarters Marine Corps, International Affairs Branch as a Foreign Area Regional Affairs Staff Non-Commissioned Officer.
His personal decorations include the Bronze Star w/Combat “V” Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement w/Combat “V” (3rd award), Combat Action Ribbon (2nd award), and Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (3rd award).
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