Michael "Mike" L. Bruhn
Mike Bruhn retired from the Department of Defense after more than 40 years of service as an Army officer and Senior Executive Service leader. His career spanned from platoon leader to senior advisor at the highest levels of the Department, shaped throughout by the enduring principles of Duty, Honor, Country.
He served seven years as Executive Secretary of the Department of Defense, appointed by Secretary Robert Gates and continuing under four additional Secretaries—Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Ash Carter, and Jim Mattis. In that role, Mike worked at the center of the Department’s decision-making, managing the flow of information to and from the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and coordinating complex issues across the Services, combatant commands, defense agencies, and senior leadership within the Department and the White House during a time of sustained global conflict and change.
Mike later served as Acting Director and Executive Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, where he led efforts to counter weapons of mass destruction and improvised threats in support of U.S. and allied forces worldwide. Earlier assignments included Deputy Director of the Special Access Program Central Office, overseeing the Department’s most sensitive programs, and Director of Operations for the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2006.
Before entering civilian service, Mike served 22 years in the U.S. Army in a variety of command, staff, and academic positions, including as a Patriot Air and Missile Defense Battalion Commander and Associate Professor of Physics at West Point. During his Army career, he served in a range of operational, analytical, and academic roles supporting national defense and leadership development. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Military Academy and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mike was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa. He has been married to the former Barbara Gorman Bradford of Holland, Michigan, since July 10, 1982. They have three children and nine grandchildren. After retiring, Mike and Barbara sold their home and moved aboard a motor yacht, completing the American Great Loop in May 2023—a two-year, 6,300-nautical-mile journey through many of the major eastern U.S. and Canadian waterways.
Since then, they have continued cruising up and down the East Coast, spending winters in the Florida Keys and summers north as far as Virginia Beach. As of November 2025, they have established New Bern, North Carolina, as their home port while continuing to travel aboard Jackie B III. They enjoy time with their nine grandchildren and a life shaped by faith, family, and the enduring legacy of their daughter Jackie.
He served seven years as Executive Secretary of the Department of Defense, appointed by Secretary Robert Gates and continuing under four additional Secretaries—Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Ash Carter, and Jim Mattis. In that role, Mike worked at the center of the Department’s decision-making, managing the flow of information to and from the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and coordinating complex issues across the Services, combatant commands, defense agencies, and senior leadership within the Department and the White House during a time of sustained global conflict and change.
Mike later served as Acting Director and Executive Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, where he led efforts to counter weapons of mass destruction and improvised threats in support of U.S. and allied forces worldwide. Earlier assignments included Deputy Director of the Special Access Program Central Office, overseeing the Department’s most sensitive programs, and Director of Operations for the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2006.
Before entering civilian service, Mike served 22 years in the U.S. Army in a variety of command, staff, and academic positions, including as a Patriot Air and Missile Defense Battalion Commander and Associate Professor of Physics at West Point. During his Army career, he served in a range of operational, analytical, and academic roles supporting national defense and leadership development. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Military Academy and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mike was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa. He has been married to the former Barbara Gorman Bradford of Holland, Michigan, since July 10, 1982. They have three children and nine grandchildren. After retiring, Mike and Barbara sold their home and moved aboard a motor yacht, completing the American Great Loop in May 2023—a two-year, 6,300-nautical-mile journey through many of the major eastern U.S. and Canadian waterways.
Since then, they have continued cruising up and down the East Coast, spending winters in the Florida Keys and summers north as far as Virginia Beach. As of November 2025, they have established New Bern, North Carolina, as their home port while continuing to travel aboard Jackie B III. They enjoy time with their nine grandchildren and a life shaped by faith, family, and the enduring legacy of their daughter Jackie.