Blogpilot133

RADM Brady M. Cole, USN SC, Class of 1958

RADM Brady Marshall Cole was born September 3, 1936 in Houston, TX, where he graduated from Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in 1954. Prior to graduation, in November 1952, Brady, a member of Troop 55 in Houston, was certified an Eagle Scout. In the Fall of 1954, he enrolled at UT Austin and joined the Navy ROTC Program. While at UT, Cole was active in several scholastic and honorary fraternities, including Phi Kappa Sigma (President), Phi Eta Sigma, Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Alpha Kappa Psi. He served on the Inter-Fraternity Council and was President of the Student’s Co-op Association. Cole was also Junior Class President of the Business School and a Silver Spur. He graduated in the Spring of 1958 and was commissioned an ENS on May 31, 1958, with a date of rank of June 4, 1958. Six days later Brady married the former Carol Lorraine Hurst.

ENS Cole elected the Supply Option and, upon commissioning, attended the Navy’s Supply Corps School in Athens, GA, where he received his Certificate of Qualification on October 9, 1958. He then reported to Commander, CVG FASRON ELEVEN, an aircraft service squadron in Atsugi, Japan, for duty as a Division Officer. In July of 1959, Cole was promoted to LTJG, and in December of that year, he became the Material Division Officer of the Naval Air Station, Atsugi, Japan.

In February 1962, LTJG Cole rotated back to the U.S. as Special Assistant to the Director for Supply Administration at NAVSUPSYSCOM in Washington, DC. In May of 1962, he was assigned to the Atomic Energy Commission in Germantown, MD, and to the Manager, Naval Reactors, in Washington, DC. He was responsible for budgeting and contracting for nuclear cores and materials at both duty stations. Cole was promoted to LT in June of 1962.

To be working in this highly technical area, required the approval of VADM Hyman G. Rickover. When LT Cole interviewed, Admiral Rickover was not impressed with a business degree from UT, so he challenged young Cole to home school himself in nuclear physics, calculus and analytical geometry over a three month period, then sit for both oral and written tests to see if he properly understood the material. LT Cole rose to the challenge, passed his exams and was admitted to the program, but only after signing an agreement to stay in it for at least five years. In 1964, Brady and Carol had their first child, Cheryl Ann, at Bethesda Naval Hospital, MD. In November 1966 Cole was promoted to LCDR.

Before leaving the Naval Reactors Program, LT Cole completed all course work for an MBA from George Washington University but did not have time to complete a thesis because the Navy had selected him to attend Harvard Business School. In August of 1967 LCDR Cole left Washington, DC and started Harvard Business School the next month. In 1968 Brady and Carol had their second child, Christine Lorraine, at Chelsea Naval Hospital in Boston, MA. On June 12, 1969, LCDR Cole graduated with distinction from Harvard Business School with an MBA degree, accounting emphasis. Harvard accepted him as a PhD candidate but the Navy declined to let him stay.

In June of 1969 LCDR Cole reported to Director, Special Equipment Division. This Division was responsible for logistics control over Nuclear Weapon and Nuclear Propulsion Repair Parts, at the Ships Parts Control Center in Mechanicsburg, PA. During the latter part of this tour, he ordered to Temporary Additional Duty at the Naval Material Command and sent to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company to review its accounting practices. He authored a quite detailed report entitled “Segregation of Change Costs and Disruption Costs in New Ship Construction” that was issued on 28 July 1970. His tour at SPCC was completed in May of 1971.

In July of 1971, LCDR Cole reported to USS TRIPOLI (LPH-10) as Supply Officer. In 1972, while he as deployed, Carol Cole gave birth to their third and last child, Alan Brady at San Diego Naval Hospital, CA. While on USS TRIPOLI, Cole was promoted to CDR in November of 1972. During his tour on TRIPOLI, she was deployed for 11 months to Viet Nam. He completed this tour of duty in May of 1973.

In June of 1973 CDR Cole reported to the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Newport News, VA, as Contracts Officer and Director, Office of Claims Analysis. With additional duty for Commander, NAVSHIPSYSCOM (02 Contracting Directorate) this tour ended in July 1977.

In July 1977 CDR was given an opportunity to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Ft. McNair in Washington, DC. After reporting, CDR Cole was selected as an Associate Research Fellow. He used the opportunity to write National Security Affairs Monograph 79-5, “Procurement of Naval Ships,” which was used as a text book at ICAF for a number of years. Upon graduation he was offered an opportunity to join the staff and teach Economics. The Navy declined the offer, and CDR Cole received his diploma on June 15, 1978.

The next month, CDR Cole reported to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering as Director, Directorate of Weapon Systems Procurement and Chairman of Defense Acquisition Regulation. . Cole was selected for early promotion to CAPT on August 1, 1979. During this tour he completely rewrote DoD Directive 5000.1 and DoD Directive 5000.2 which provide policy and direction for acquisition of major weapons systems as well as chaired the Council that made changes to the Defense Acquisition Regulation. His tour ended in April of 1980. .

That same month CAPT Cole reported to Navy Regional Contracting Office, Washington, DC, as its CO. In July 1981, he was ordered to the NAVSUPSYSCOM in Washington, DC as Deputy Commander for Contracting Management and Director of Navy Field Contracting System, where he served for the next three years. During that period, an unfortunate disclosure of the Navy purchasing a very expensive aviation toilet seat led to CAPT Cole creating, managing and representing to all levels of the Executive Branch and Congress a new program called Project BOSS (Buy Our Spares Smart).

In June 1984, CAPT Cole moved across country to the Naval Supply Center in San Diego, CA. He served as the Commanding Officer for two years. During his tour, the Command received the Chief of Naval Material Productivity Excellence Award. . He was selected for Rear Admiral (Lower Half) and attended the Capstone Course for newly selected flag officers at the National Defense University shortly thereafter.

In July 1986, CAPT Cole reported to Commander, Naval Logistics Command, Pacific, as the Pacific Fleet Supply Officer. There he developed, from concept to creation, a completely new Supply Strategic Plan for the U.S. Pacific Fleet and the Naval Logistics Command, Pacific. During this tour of duty, RADM Cole received a Certificate on December 12, 1986 from the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program. He was promoted to RADM (Upper Half) on March 1, 1989.

On March 1989 RADM Cole reported to the Defense Logistics Agency as Deputy Commander for Operations, where he served until June 1992. While there RADM Cole received a Certificate on September 1, 1989 for the Harvard University, John Fitzgerald Kennedy School of Government, National Security Program.

During his Naval career, RADM Cole authored and co-authored many books and articles related to supply systems. He served on numerous officer selection boards, even including one for Air Force Majors. He is a Shellback and a member of the Domain of the Golden Dragon.

RADM Cole decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (3 awards), Navy Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”.

On July 1, 1992 RADM Brady M. Cole, USN SC, retired from the Navy with just slightly over 34 years of active duty. Since retirement he has stayed active. For three years (1993-1996) he served as General Manager of Educational Services Institute, a company created to provide Program Management and Contracting instruction to both the federal government and private industry. For ten years (1996-2006) he served as VP for Planning, CFO and Senior Executive VP for support for the world’s largest credit union, Navy Federal Credit Union. He retired from there in July of 2006.