Brigadier General Gorbea assumes command of the 1st Mission Support Command, responsible for the US Army Reserve in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and commissioned into the Army Corps of Engineers through the Princeton University ROTC program in June 1998. His initial regular army assignments from Sapper Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer to Adjutant were with the 54th Engineer Battalion, in Germany.
He joined the US Army Reserve (USAR) in 2004 serving as ROTC Assistant Professor for Military Science with the 8th Brigade, 98th Division (Institutional Training). He mobilized to a combat tour in Iraq as a Military Training Team Advisor for the 5th Division Iraqi Army in Fallujah, Iraq.
Brigadier General Gorbea joined the 7th ARCOM in 2006. He commanded the 345th Rear Area Operations Center and led its transformation to B Co, 457th Civil Affairs Battalion from 2008 to 2011. He then served as Joint Engineer Operations and Plans Officer at the US European Command J4.
He then commanded the 457th Civil Affairs Battalion in Grafenwoehr, Germany from 2015-2017, followed by service in the US Southern Command J7/9 as Security Assistance Officer. Brigadier General Gorbea then served as the 7th Army Training Command’s, Deputy G3, Chief, Mobilization and Reserve Affairs (M&RA) overseeing Army Reserve and Guard integration in USAREUR exercises and training missions to Ukraine and Georgia from 2017-2019.
He commanded the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade from 2020-2022. Here he led his unit’s support to the COVID-19 response, Operation Atlantic Resolve, and Operation Allies Welcome in Europe. His last assignment prior to 1st MSC, was commander, 163rd Regional Support Group, Grafenwoehr, Germany where he led the establishment of an RSG HQ and three battalions.
Brigadier General Gorbea is a licensed professional engineer in Puerto Rico with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University; a Master of Science in Inter-American Defense and Security Studies from the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, DC; a Master’s in Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); and a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the Technische Universität München. He formerly worked for BMW in the development of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Architectures. Prior to taking command of the 1st MSC, BG Gorbea served as a Department of the Army Civilian position, as the Government Relations Advisor to the Commanding General, 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwoehr, Germany from 2020-2023.
His awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal (1 OLC), Army Achievement Medal, the Civil Affairs Association Winfield Scott Medal (Gold), the Engineer Association De Fleury Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and other ribbons. Colonel Gorbea speaks Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Dutch. He takes on this assignment from Gundelsheim, Germany (Landkreis Bamberg) with his wife Andrea Hermann, son Rafael (12) and daughter Estella (9).