Emerson Reed

Major Emerson Reed is an active-duty officer in the United States Army. Born in Arlington and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Emerson was known as a smart and talented athlete among his peers. He was raised by a father who worked as an Intelligence Officer from the US Army and a mother who became a respected lawyer within Washington DC. Emerson was educated in public school before attending Georgetown Preparatory School and graduating in 2006. He enrolled into the University of Virginia with an Army Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship and graduated in the spring of 2010.

Following his graduation from the University of Virginia, he commissioned into the United States Army as an Infantry Officer through the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. Emerson was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade for three years before completing selection to join the 1st Special Forces Group. He became a respected Special Forces officer among his peers and later joined a Special Missions Unit known as the Joint Reconnaissance Evaluation Group. As a seasoned infantry and special operations officer, Emerson has completed multiple combat deployments and led at various levels within the special operations community.

Childhood
Born on April 13th, 1988, Emerson grew up in an affluent area of Alexandria, Virginia, outside of Washington D.C. His father, Jonathon Reed, was an active-duty United States Army intelligence officer stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. His mother, Heather Reed, was working as a Counsel for WilmerHale in Washington DC. His sister, Taylor Reed, was two years older than him and became a role model to Emerson early on. He spent the majority of his time being cared for through child care, babysitters, and his parents. In 1993, Emerson was enrolled into Douglas MacArthur Elementary School. He began participating in community athletic sports such as soccer and lacrosse while going to the International Country Club to play golf with his family and club friends. When Desert Storm kicked off, Emerson watched his father report to the Middle East and waited for him to come home.

Emerson welcomed his father home in the summer of 1991 and saw him as a hero for what he did during Desert Storm. He learned about his father's time in the military and the influences he had throughout his career. At school, Emerson was known as a bright student among his peers and being a model student. He became interested in military history, leading to his father showing him famous memorials across Washington DC like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown where he watched Sentinels patrol the area. His first books included the success of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II in the European Theater. In 1995, Emerson joined a private lacrosse team named Madlax and began pushing lacrosse as his primary sport. He spent time with Taylor in nearby parks and schools where they helped each other with getting better at lacrosse.

By 1999, Emerson graduated from Douglas MacArthur Elementary School and enrolled into George Washington Middle School. In 2000, Emerson watched his father deploy to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a Defense Intelligence Agency officer. He followed the conflict through the news and learned about his father's activities through the letters sent back home. Throughout middle school, he continued to excel as a smart student and enjoying challenges. Emerson was known as a rising star within the Madlax lacrosse program and joined the Middle School All-Star Team where he traveled along the East Coast during his summer breaks to compete in tournmanets. In-between his free time, he hiked across Northern Virginia and read more books about World War II and the Vietnam War. His father returned in 2001 and completed his last deployment citing he wanted to spent more time with his family. Emerson was glad to have his father more involved in his life.

Between 2000 and 2001, Emerson became interested in joining the United States Army. He expressed his interest in joining and a few career paths he wanted to take. Early on, Jonathon tried to not influence Emerson's decision in wanting to join the military. Emerson wanted to become an officer and attend West Point, where his father graduated, but met resistance. Jonathon opened up the idea of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps as a way to give Emerson the chance to try the military without having any backlash if he didn't like the idea. During the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Emerson knew his father was at the Pentagon and was relieved to learn he had escaped safely. He followed the activites of the United States in the wake of the attack and learned about the success of Task Force Dagger. After graduating from George Washington Middle School, he was accepted into Georgetown Preparatory School where many of his lacrosse friends were attending.

Going from a public school to a private catholic education proved to be a tough move given the change in circulumn and the demand for him to perform in the classroom. He joined the junior varsity lacrosse team his freshman year where he was second on the team in points. Emerson made it to the varsity team his sophomore year and started to cement himself as a vital key to Georgetown Prep's success. He grew as an academic student and began to earn numerous awards as a student-athlete by the atheltic conference and school. In the summers, he spent time traveling along the East Coast with Madlax where he competed on the High School All-Star Team and spent time with his girlfriend across Northern Virginia. By 2002, Emerson began setting his focus on university options and where he wanted to study. During his summer trips, he often toured various university campuses to learn about their traditions and the opportunities offered.

Excelling in both the academic and athletic world, Emerson had various options to attend universities. He applied early to Georgetown and Colgate University. He was accepted into Colgate while he also applied to the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech University. After being accepted into both the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, he decided to attend the University of Virginia where he was awarded an Army Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. He continued to excel as a lacrosse player since he knew he wasn't going to participate in the sport while at UVA. In the final months of being at Georgetown Prep, Emerson was listed as a High School Second Team All-American and All-Metro Second Team Player. He was a final candidate for a student-athelete award but missed out by .1 on his GPA. He graduated from Georgetown Preparatory School in 2006.

Early Adulthood
In his first year at UVA, Emerson adjusted well to his university life. His friends were built through the ROTC program where he joined the Ranger Challenge as a means to challenge himself physically and mentally. In academics, he declared a major in Statistics and began focusing on China. He joined the Outdoors Club and Triathalon Team to build more structure into his day and meet more people. Throughout his time at UVA, he rose to be a respected leader within his club organizations and challenged himself on new adventures. In the summers, he traveled to Fort Knox, Kentucky to build an understanding of his career in the United States Army and the opportunities he had. Early on, Emerson saw Infantry and Intelligence as his two main paths based on his father's experience and the opportunities to serve a higher purpose in the Army.

Along with his training, Emerson attended a NOLS Service Academy Leadership Expedition in Alaska where he backpacked for nearly two weeks and built his leadership skills. During his junior year, he rose to become the Club President of the Triathlon Club while taking the title Co-Gear Master in the Outdoors Club. In the summer, Emerson attended the Army Mountain Warfare School at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Vermont and graduated from the Basic Military Mountaineer Course. He decided to join the Infantry Branch after spending his time flipping between the two career fields he saw. Emerson went on to serve as the Battalion Executive Officer under the university's battalion and led the Ranger Challenge as well. In his final two years, Emerson took an interest in China and the potential national security issues from his father. He learned Chinese-Mandarin as a foreign language and pursued a minor in the related subject field.

At the end of his time at UVA, Emerson graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Statistics, a Minor in Chinese Language and Literature, and as a Cadet Major. Emerson rose to become the Vice President of the Outdoors Club while finishing off his time as the President of the Triathlon Club where he traveled along the East Coast. His time in the ROTC Battalion was arguably more enjoyable than going to a Service Academy given the flexibility to have a civilian life. He reflected on his time at the university and the intense growth he had. In his final months, Emerson dedicated his time to Open-Source Research on Afghanistan and Iraq to build a better understanding of the Global War on Terror. His parents and girlfriend pinned his 2nd Lieutenant bars to his uniform during the UVA ROTC Commissioning Ceremony.

United States Army Career
After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2010, Emerson commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the United States Army. During the Infantry Basic Officer Leaders Course, he completed Army Airborne School, Ranger School, and Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course while at Fort Benning, Georgia. Emerson graduated and joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade at Conn Barracks, Germany. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (Airborne), B Troop as a Infantry Reconnaissance Platoon Leader. He deployed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan as a member of Task Force Bayonet and Saber across the Logar and Wardak Province. Emerson returned to Germany in early 2013 and was assigned to B Troop as a Dismounted Reconnaissance Troop Executive Officer before leaving later in 2013 to attend the Special Forces Qualifications Course in the United States.

Emerson completed Special Operations Force Captains Career Course before attending the Special Forces Qualification Course. During his time at the Q Course, he completed the 18A Module, learned Chinese-Mandarin and selected the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) as his primary choice. Emerson built his individual development around airborne operations where he became a qualified Static-Line Jumpmaster and graduated from the Military Freefall Parachutist Course. He then joined the 1st Special Forces Group (A), 2nd Battalion, C Company, ODA 1233 as an ODA Detachment Commander in late 2014 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He completed one deployment as a Detachment Commander to support Operation Freedom's Sentinel in 2015. Upon returning to the United States, Emerson participated in War Games and Joint Military Exercises across the United States Pacific Command. In-between deployments, he graduated from Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course and other career broadening courses in the USAJFKSWCS.

After spending time as a Detachment Commander, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion as a Battalion Assistant Operations Officer in 2017. As an Operations Officer, he deployed to South Korea in 2018 while North Korea was testing their nuclear weapons capabilities. His other deployment was to the Philippines where he supported Operation Pacific Eagle - Philippines where he worked alongside Special Operations Task Force 511 in the United States Indo-Pacific Command Area of Operations between 2018 and 2019. Emerson supported targeting operations against ISIS-Philippines, Abu Sayyaf, and other regional Terrorist Threat Networks. Notable training included becoming an Advanced Special Operations Techniques Manager and attending the Combat Diver Qualifications Course. In 2018, he was accepted into the General Wayne A. Downing Scholarship and selected to attend Princeton University in the fall of 2019. Emerson attended the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs in Princeton, New Jersey.

While at Princeton University, he earned a Masters of Public Policy and worked with professors on China Public Policy. Emerson also learned about Russia in Moldavo, Georgia, and Ukraine incursions to build a better understanding of hybrid warfare. He graduated from the program in the spring of 2020 and returned to the 1st Special Forces Group (A) to serve as a Company Executive Officer for 2nd Battalion, A Company. One month after getting back to the 1st Special Forces Group, he was selected for a slot in a Special Missions Unit Assessment and Selection. Emerson left Washington where he completed Assessment and Selection then the Operator Training Course to join the United States Army Joint Reconnaissance Evaluation Group in 2021. He moved back home to Northern Virginia and began his time at JREG as a Squadron Assistant Operations Officer to build and understanding of the SMU, its capabilities, and scope of operations. He completed career broadening deployments to Taiwan, Ukraine, Qatar, and Israel.

Becoming a Major, Emerson was assigned to the Operations Squadron as a Troop Commander in 2022. He deployed to numerous countries across the world with a focus on operational intelligence. Notably to Syria and Iraq to support Operation Inherent Resolve, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to support Operation Enduring Freedom - Europe, South Korea, Iran, Lebanon, and other countries. He was in Syria during the Battle of al-Hasakah and the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. Other deployments included working alongside the Israeli Mossad in targeting the Iran Threat Network across the Middle East, building intelligence on American hostages in conflict zones, and gathering strategical intelligence on North Korea, China, Iran, and Russia. By 2024, Emerson began focusing exclusively on running operational intelligence missions against China in gray zones along the Belt and Road Initiative and Russia in contested territories around Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and other areas.

After time as a Troop Commander in JREG, Emerson joined Joint Special Operations Command, Task Force - Advance Force Operations as Troop Commander at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the summer of 2024. He deployed with TF-AFO to Georgia and Ukraine in support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Europe with a mixture of JSOC elements to conduct clandestine operations. He supported Operation Blackadder and returned to the United States to become the Executive Officer of TF-AFO. In the wake of the New Year's Offensive, Emerson deployed to Japan with TF-AFO and served as the AFO Liaison Officer to the US Embassy in Japan.

Personality
Emerson is known to be an extremely focused and calm individual by his peers. Growing up, he spent time with his father learning mental toughness and working through complex problems while failing multiple times. Early in Emerson's life, he was known to be quiet and an excellent student. Many of his teachers said he had the chance to be a great leader if he overcame his shyness. Emerson kept a small group of friends he trusted and worked on excelling through his academic work with help from his mother. Growing up in a supportive environment, he overcame his shyness by competing in sports and participating in clubs. Emerson learned the importance of time management to balance his academics, athletic, and social commitments.

During High School, Emerson became a well-known individual on campus for his stand-out performances in athletics and being a supportive leader. He modeled himself and his thinking after many military leaders he read in books as well as the ones he was following during the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. Other activities included leading Service Projects and Retreats. As Emerson attended university, he remained driven in his goals to become a United States Army officer while participating in various social activities. His mindset and maturity grew as he spent time in university to become a standout student and gained recognition from peers for his desire to help people.

As a young officer, Emerson embraced the idea of intellectualism and focused on consuming knowledge to become an educated officer. He asked questions about planning and shared his information with platoon sergeants, commanders, and other personnel around him. Emerson didn't shy away from taking on ruthless tasks such as trying out for the Army Special Forces, General Wayne A. Downing Scholarship, and United States Army Joint Reconnaissance Evaluation Group. Other rigorous programs included the White House Fellows, Great Skill Program, and Asymmetric Warfare Group. He was known as an innovative thinker who enjoyed helping people across the United States Army. Emerson served as a tough operations and liaison officer for many commands by asking hard questions and preparing fallout solutions.

Emerson became known as a respected special operations officer while serving in the 1st SFG (A) by applying his theories and ideas as a mid-level officer in the United States Army. He practiced his briefings with senior non-commissioned officers and often asked questions to others around him to understand his role. Emerson was known to be extremely efficient and helpful when creating new ideas to battle counter-terrorism and near peers. Being a special missions unit officer, Emerson cemented himself as an unorthodox thinker in conducting low-intensity conflicts, clandestine activities, and preparing operations for assault forces down the road. He became known as a China Hawk among his peers and played a significant role in planning operations against China if they ever went to war.

Outside of the military, Emerson is a catholic who attends Mass often and coordinates community service projects. He is a loving husband and supportive father who helps his family whenever home. He is known to be an extremely private individual who only shares details about himself to people he fully trusts. Emerson doesn't talk to many people outside of the military aside from close friends in the Intelligence Community. He taught his children a miyraid of skills including seld-defense while also cheering them on in their sport games. Emerson suffers from social anxiety and often expressed a desire to settle down somewhere quiet when he leaves the Army.

Equipment
Emerson's primary rifle is a Heckler & Koch HK416, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, with a Geissele SMR rail and LMT B5 Stock. His standard optic setup is a Vortex Optics Razor II E 1-6x LPVO. He has a L3/Harris Next Generation Aiming Laser and Surefire M600C scout light as his laser and sight with a Surefire RC 556 suppressor. Building his rifle, Emerson drew inspiration from fellow operators in Delta Force, JREG and Armorers for JSOC. The setup remained his go-to throughout his entire time as a Troop Commander both within JREG and TF-AFO.

Further into his time as an operator, Emerson built up a Sig Sauer MCX with the Low Visibility Assault Weapon build. He has a Eotech XPS 3-0 red dot sight, L3/Harris Next Generation Aiming Laser, CF M LOK 8" handguard, and a Sig Sauer SRD762TI-10 suppressor. Notably, the rifle is chambered with .300 Blackout ammunition to focus on clandestine and close-quarters battle. The SIG MCX LVAW is a go-to for him during low-intensity operations with a clandestine nature in gray zones. The ability to conceal the rifle and customize it to the environment is a huge benefit Emerson enjoys having.

The Glock 19, chambered with 9mm, became Emerson's preferred handgun when he joined the 1st Special Forces Group (A) in 2014. Manufactured by Glock Ges.m.b.H., he maintains a similar setup with his Glock 19 by having an aftermarket threaded barrel, Leupold Delta Point Pro red dot sight, and a X300u white light. He uses an aftermarket magazine from the Glock 17. For concealment, the Glock 26 subcompact with a Leupold Delta Point Pro red dot sight, aftermarket threaded barrel along with conceal and carry in high-threat, low-intensity environments. Both Glocks can be fitted with suppressors should the mission require it.

Family
Jonathan Reed, Emerson's father, was arguably the most valuable individual in shaping Emerson's life. Early on, Emerson looked up to his father and his military career as an Intelligence Officer. His father invited him to the Officers Club and took him to various monuments across Washington D.C. to see the history of the United States. Emerson began seeing his father as a role model and sought out of pursuing the same career as his from a young age. Instead of being dismissed, Jonathan helped his son with learning more about the Army, the history of warfare and visiting famous Civil War battlefields. He helped build an appreciation for the military while also allowing Emerson to choose how he wanted to live his life. Jonathan played a crucial role in convincing his son to attend the University of Virginia, encouraging him to tryout for a Special Missions Unit, and being a life mentor.

Heather Reed, Emerson's mother, guided him through challenging himself and building a strong character. She provided him with the chances to be an independent thinker to build his critical thinking skills. Heather inspired Emerson to play lacrosse and take an interest in outdoor activities based on her past experiences. She gave him insights into the world of defense corporations and the power of having a strong network. As Emerson became more involved in Community Service, Heather helped pick out potential areas and events. She helped him with his summer job applications, college admissions, and academics. She was his biggest fan at sporting events and made sure to travel for many successful milestones in his life. After graduating from Ranger School, she pinned the Ranger Tab to his Army Combat Uniform. Heather continues to remain a valuable mother for him to gain advice.

Taylor Reed, Emerson's older sister, was a significant person throughout his childhood. She became an impromptu tutor through his early education and they played lacrosse in the backyard. Taylor taught him how to play lacrosse, video games, read trail maps, attend mass and navigate the internet. Emerson viewed her as one of his closest friends and biggest supporter while growing up. They had a competitive rivalry spanning across academics, sporting events, and even social events. Taylor became a valuable mentor to Emerson on building relationships and maintaining friendships. Seeing how a private education benefited her, Emerson wanted to attend a college preparatory academy and selected the University of Virginia based on spending a week with her on campus. While Emerson joined the United States Army, Taylor worked for multi-national corporations as well as the Department of Defense in the Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina. In 2012, he was fortunate to attend her wedding and they kept in close contact despite living their own lives.

Personal
In 2002, Emerson began dating Sydney O'Brien after meeting her at a Madlax Lacrosse Summer Camp. Since she attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, their schools held many joint social events for the two to spend time together. Ranging from formal dances to sporting events, Emerson spent a lot of time with Sydney and considered her to be his best friend and only girlfriend he needed in life. However, they broke up in 2006 when Sydney did not like the idea of Emerson being obsessed with the military along with going to different universities. While Emerson attended the University of Virginia, Sydney attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill on a lacrosse scholarship. They kept in contact and he hoped to have a second shot with Sydney given their time apart. In-between his second and third year, the two got back together and had a long distance relationship where they spent time with each other on weekends or school breaks.

During Emerson's commissioning ceremony, Sydney pinned one of his Second Lieutenant bars to his shoulder and later his Ranger and Special Forces tab. He went to Italy while she stayed at UNC - Chapel Hill as a graduate student and used her extra year of athletic eligibility to compete on the women's lacrosse team. Emerson kept in touch with her through email, phone, and skype calls while becoming a running joke among the officers for dating a ghost. She welcomed him home from his first deployment in Germany in 2013 and she sent gifts ranging from home goods to letters throughout the deployment. He traveled to Canada to watch her win the gold medal in the 2013 Women's Lacrosse World Cup. After the World Cup, he proposed to her and they returned to the United States where he began Special Forces training. By 2015, they married in Northern Virginia and moved to Federal Way, Washington where he was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group (A).

Settling down for the first time, they built in time for date nights and social events with other couples within the Group. Emerson took Sydney hiking across the Pacific Northwest and showed her many outdoor skills. Other events included attending change-of-command, funerals, and formal events surrounding the 1st SFG (A). They adopted a Swiss Bernese Mountain Dog named Hoya in 2016 and had Rachel Reed in 2017. Between 2019 and 2020, they temporarily moved to Princeton, New Jersey then back to Washington in 2020 before moving to Alexandria, Virginia in 2021 where they had Bear Reed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Getting settled again, they continued to build their lives together by mingling with Washington DC's elite class and raising their children with the close help of their parents.