Colonel Clydea Prichard-Brown was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 13, 1969. She enlisted in the United States Army as a Traffic Management Coordinator (88N) in 1991. Her enlisted assignments included Fort Ord, California, Sinai, Egypt, and Fort Lewis, Washington. After reaching the rank of Sergeant, COL Prichard-Brown received the Army ROTC Green-to-Gold Scholarship in 1995.
She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies with a concentration in Criminal Justice from Indiana University, Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI). 1997 she became the first female and minority cadet Battalion Commander. She was commissioned into the Transportation Corps and named the school’s Distinguished Military Graduate. She later graduated with honors from Webster University, earning her Master’s Degree in Procurement and Acquisition Management with a concentration in Government Contracting. She received her second Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
COL Prichard-Brown began her officer career in the 89th Transportation Company as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer. She served as the Battalion S-1 and the Assistant Operations and Security Officer for the 6th Transportation Battalion. She served in the United States Forces Korea in the G-4 Transportation Division, Eighth United States Army (EUSA). Then, she assumed command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 498th Corps Support Battalion in Yongsan, Korea. After command, she served as the Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations Officer for EUSA. COL Prichard-Brown served as the Battalion Operations Officer (S-3) of the 2/337th Training Support Battalion and then the Brigade Current Operations Officer of the 205th Infantry Brigade at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. She later deployed with the 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group to Kuwait as the Brigade Logistics Officer (S-4) during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2008-2009). She completed Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and later served as Executive Officer of the Milwaukee Recruiting Battalion, Wisconsin. COL Prichard-Brown served as the Branch Chief of Training Ammunition for the Army within the Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA) G-3/5/7. She deployed to the Baghdad Embassy, Iraq, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from (2014-2015) where she served as the Iraq Train and Equip Fund Manager for Iraq. She served as Executive Officer to the Director of Training for the Army, HQDA G-3/5/7, and later commanded the 836th Transportation Battalion in Yokohama, Japan. After a highly successful command, COL Prichard-Brown graduated from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in June 2019. COL Prichard-Brown’s most recent assignment was as the Director of the Logistics and Materiel Readiness Directorate (LMRD) within the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM). She was the first African-American female to command the 59th Ordnance Brigade at Fort Lee, Virginia. Colonel Prichard-Brown currently serves as the 1st Theater Support Command’s Chief of Staff at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Her military schools include the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Leadership Development Course, Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Airborne School, Transportation Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Service Staff School, and Command and General Staff College. Her awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Basic Airborne Parachutist Badge. She is the winner of the National Joint Women’s Leadership Award for the Army Materiel Command (AMC), a recipient of the Transportation Regimental Corps Military Order of St. Christopher, a lifetime member of the ROCKS, Inc., and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. COL Prichard-Brown is the founder of the CASCOM Female Mentoring and Morale Program (FMMP).
COL Prichard-Brown is married to Mr. Eric L. Upthegrove. She has a son, Zion Brown (21), and a daughter, Zaria Brown (15). She also has a twin sister, Colonel Clydellia Prichard-Allen, stationed at the Pentagon.
