Christopher Pratt

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Christopher D. Pratt, a native of Troy, New York, graduated from Canisius College in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry. He first served as a Platoon Leader and as the Battalion Signal Officer with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1 st Infantry Division in Vilseck, Germany. During his service in Germany he deployed in support of Operations JOINT GUARD in Bosnia-Herzegovina and JOINT GUARDIAN in Kosovo.

In 2000, after volunteering for Special Forces and completing the Special Forces Qualification Course, Lieutenant Colonel Pratt served as the Executive Officer, Special Forces Operational Detachment – Bravo 3130 and as the Detachment Commander, Special Forces Operational Detachment – Alpha 3122 assigned to B Company, 1 st Battalion, 3 rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). Between 2003 and 2006, he deployed three times to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.  

From 2006 to 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Pratt was assigned as a Special Operations Observer / Controller with the Special Operations Training Detachment, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana. In 2009, he assumed command of C Company, 4 th Battalion, 3 rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and deployed a fourth time in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. LTC Pratt served as the Battalion Operations Officer and deployed as the OPCEN Director, Special Operations Task Force – East in Afghanistan from January to July 2012. As part of the USASFC (A) initiative and National Guard Special Forces Way-Ahead, LTC Pratt was selected to serve as the Operations Officer and Active Component Advisor for the 19 th Special Forces Group HQ in Salt Lake City, Utah. He returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 2013 to serve as the Executive Officer for the Office of Special Warfare; a directorate within 1 st SFC (A) responsible for understanding and developing the operational environment and fostering interdependence between Special Forces Groups and Interagency partners in support of GCC/TSOC global objectives. In 2015, LTC Pratt was selected to serve as the Professor of Military Science at the University of Notre Dame, and retired from Active Duty in 2018. Currently, he is serving as the Enrollment and Scholarship Officer for Army ROTC at the University of Notre Dame.

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Pratt earned a Bachelor of Arts from Canisius College, Buffalo, New York, and a Masters in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2 OLC), the Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (2 OLC), the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbon, and the NATO Medal. His awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces and Ranger Tabs. He has also earned the Australian and Royal Netherlands Army Parachutist Badges.

Lieutenant Colonel (R) Pratt is married to the former Jennifer Graber of Buffalo, New York. They have three children: Riley, Nathan and Ronan.