Brigadier General Matthew Braman
Director of Army Aviation
Matthew W. Braman is from Newport, Rhode Island. He earned an undergraduate degree from Norwich University and received a regular Army commission to the Aviation Branch. He received a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He has also completed many other educational opportunities afforded him by the military.
Braman served in the 82nd Airborne Division before attending the Aviation Captains Career Course. He then served in the 1-228th Aviation Regiment in Honduras. He served in the 3rd Battalion after assessing for the Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), 160th SOAR. After attending Naval Command and Staff College, he returned to the 160th SOAR.
Braman commanded Battalion Command before he went to the National War College. He served as Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Army then Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. He commanded the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, then served as Deputy Director of Army Aviation at the Pentagon. He was Deputy Commanding General for Sustainment at the 10th Mountain Division before returning to the Pentagon as Director of Army Aviation in June 2024.
Braman has two sons.
In the News…
Director of Army Aviation Brigadier General Matthew Braman reported that, in addition to reducing helicopter flights in Washington, D.C., the service has updated its procedures on the use of the ADSB (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast) aircraft tracking system after the fatal collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight in late January.
The helicopter in the crash had been on a training flight and did not have its ADSB system sending data out on its exact location. The ADSB provides air traffic controllers and other pilots with the positions of nearby aircraft. The U.S. military was in the habit of disabling the location transmission since any receiver could intercept the information.
“There now will be fewer flights with the ADSB-out data turned off,” General Braman said. “If they are not going to one of those sensitive locations it should 100% be on.”
The Army will designate routine training and evaluation flights separately from classified destinations going forward. The service branch is also reducing flights to transport high-ranking officials around the District of Columbia region.
