Shawn Bratton, a 1993 graduate of Arizona State University (ASU), recently returned to the Tempe campus for the first time since earning his Bachelor of Arts in secondary education. Bratton, who now serves as a four-star general and vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, reflected on his journey from college dropout to one of the highest-ranking officers in the military’s newest branch.
Bratton described his initial impressions upon returning to ASU: “Even as I came in, in the Uber, it was like, ‘All right, this place is still great,’” he said. “Mill Avenue and downtown Tempe still have that same great college town feel.”
The Space Force was established in 2019 with a mission to organize, train and equip personnel to protect U.S. interests in space. As vice chief of space operations, Bratton holds the second-highest position within the organization.
Bratton recounted his early struggles at ASU after high school graduation: “I had a pretty rough first semester. The expectation in my family was you graduate high school and then you go to college. I followed that expectation, but I really stumbled coming out of the gate. It was a little bit too much freedom for my 18-year-old self.” He decided to leave college after his first semester and joined the military soon afterward.
He explained how joining the National Guard eventually led him back to ASU: “It helped me mature enough to take school seriously. ASU had a program at the time… they reset my GPA, and I didn’t have this cloud of failure hanging over me.” He credited this opportunity with helping him get back on track academically.
After graduating from ASU, Bratton began teaching at North High School before transitioning into full-time work with the National Guard through Project Challenge—a program designed to help at-risk youth earn their diplomas or equivalency degrees within a quasi-military environment.
“My education degree and my military world came together,” he said. “I eventually cross-trained into space and I’ve been full-time military ever since.”
Discussing what sets Space Force apart from other branches of service, Bratton said: “It’s the newest and, by far, the smallest branch of service… as competitors and potential adversaries gained capabilities in space… we knew we needed to be able to counter that.” He emphasized that advancements such as GPS during conflicts like Desert Storm highlighted vulnerabilities that led directly to creating Space Force.
On whether space could become another domain for conflict similar to land or sea warfare, Bratton noted: “We’re going to have to fight there… But we’ve never fought in space. We don’t know how to do it. We have to think about it and develop concepts.”
Describing his responsibilities as vice chief of space operations, he stated: “I’m sort of the No. 2 guy. I deal with all Pentagon aspects… budget and force design… just human capital.”
Bratton also shared memories from his student days at ASU—playing bass guitar with bands around Tempe—and ultimately choosing graduation over music: “For me, ultimately, school came down to ‘I’m either going to graduate or be in a band.’ It can’t be both.’ Fortunately, I chose graduation.”
Arizona State University has received recognition for its innovative approaches; it has been named number one in innovation by U.S. News & World Report for eight consecutive years according to the publication. The university is also ranked among top institutions nationally for undergraduate business programs (No. 23), nursing (No. 29), and engineering (No. 33).
Additionally,the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department is working with an ASU tech startup called Argos Vision on developing smart traffic cameras intended for improving safety through data analysis during a year-long pilot program.
