The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) under the authority of the Secretary of Defense. Originally formed as United States Atlantic Fleet (USLANTFLT) in 1906, it has been an integral part of the defense of the United States of America since the early 20th century. In 2002, the Fleet comprised over 118,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel serving on 186 ships and in 1,300 aircraft, with an area of responsibility ranging over most of the Atlantic Ocean from the North Pole to the South Pole, the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Central and South America.
Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernandez was a United States Navy officer who was the first Hispanic American to be named Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
Rear Admiral George E. "Rico" Mayer is a retired United States Naval officer and Naval Aviator. At the time of his retirement, he was the first Puerto Rican Commander of the Naval Safety Center.
Commander, Carrier Strike Group 8, abbreviated as CCSG-8 or COMCARSTRKGRU 8, is one of five U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command. As of 2018 the group flagship is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrierUSS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). As of 2021, the other units of the group are the guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG-56), Carrier Air Wing One, the ships of Destroyer Squadron 28 as well as the Royal Norwegian Navy's frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F310), which joined the strike group for one deployment.
Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Strike Group Flagship is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) which also embarks Strike Warfare Commander, Carrier Air Wing Five and its nine squadrons. As of June 2015, CSG 5 includes three Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Destroyer Squadron Fifteen, which serves as the Sea Combat Commander and is responsible for seven assigned Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Jeffrey William Hughes is a United States Navy vice admiral who served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Development of the United States Navy from 2021 to 2024.
Yvette Marie Davids is a United States Navy vice admiral. She was the first Hispanic American woman to command a navy ship.
Brian Bentley Brown is a retired United States Navy vice admiral and navigator who last served as commander of the U.S. Naval Information Forces from June 2018 to May 2021. Brian became the second naval officer to assume the NAVIFOR office since it was established. In 1990, he served as a surface warfare officer and was subsequently transferred to the navy's operational arm oceanography command. He was also appointed as the chief of the Navy Space Cadre. As a navigator and administrator, he served aboard aircraft carriers, including USS La Salle and USS Theodore Roosevelt.
Samuel John Paparo Jr. is a United States Navy four-star admiral serving as the 64th commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, succeeding Admiral John C. Aquilino on May 5, 2021.
Richard John Cheeseman Jr. is a United States Navy vice admiral and surface warfare officer who has served as the deputy chief of naval operations for manpower, personnel, training and education and 60th Chief of Naval Personnel since June 3, 2022. He previously served as a special assistant to the Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command, and prior to that was commander of Carrier Strike Group 10 from December 14, 2020 to April 6, 2022. He has also commanded Carrier Strike Group 2 with tours as commanding officer of the USS Bulkeley (DDG-84) and USS Monterey (CG-61).
Timothy Jon Kott is a retired United States Navy rear admiral and surface warfare officer who last served as the commander of Navy Region Hawaii from June 18, 2021 to June 17, 2022. Kott was dual-hatted as Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific from June 18, 2021 to June 3, 2022. Before that, he most recently served as commander of Carrier Strike Group 1 from June 25, 2020 to May 28, 2021, and prior to that, as assistant chief of staff for operations of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, his first flag assignment. In earlier command tours, Kott commanded USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) from March 2013 to March 2015 and USS Hopper (DDG-70) from July 2008 to March 2010.
Alvin Holsey is a United States Navy vice admiral and naval aviator who has served as the military deputy commander of the United States Southern Command since February 1, 2023. He previously served as commander of the Navy Personnel Command and Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel from January 8, 2021, to December 15, 2022. He has command assignments as commander of Carrier Strike Group 1 from June 2018 to June 2020, and commanding officer of the U.S. Navy’s first hybrid electric propulsion warship, the USS Makin Island (LHD-8) from June 2013 to December 2014, having started out as its executive officer in February of the former year.
Robert Berry Chadwick II is a United States Navy rear admiral and surface warfare officer who served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 9 from July 9, 2021 to June 2, 2023. He most recently served as the commander of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific from June 14, 2019 to June 18, 2021. Prior to that, Chadwick served as the 87th Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy from June 2017 to June 2019, with tours as commander of Destroyer Squadron 21 from March 2015 to August 2016 and commanding officer of USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) from November 2010 to July 2011.
Craig A. "Clap" Clapperton is a United States Navy vice admiral and naval flight officer who serves as the commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and the United States Tenth Fleet since August 4, 2022. He most recently served as the commander of Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber from June 30, 2021, to June 7, 2022. He previously served as commander of Carrier Strike Group 12 from May 7, 2020 to June 17, 2021.
Paul C. Spedero Jr. is a United States Navy rear admiral and naval aviator who has served as the vice director for operations of the Joint Staff since June 2023. He most recently served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 8 from May 31, 2022 to June 1, 2023. He most recently served as commander of the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command from July 9, 2021 to May 23, 2022, and prior to that as director for fleet integrated readiness and analysis on the staff of the United States Fleet Forces Command.
Daniel Lyle Cheever is a United States Navy vice admiral who has served as Commander, Naval Air Forces since January 31, 2024. He most recently served as chief of staff of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command from 2022 to 2023. He previously served as the Director of Plans, Policy, and Strategy of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command from 2020 to 2022. He previously served as the Commander of Carrier Strike Group 4. Raised in Downers Grove, Illinois, Cheever earned a Bachelor of Business degree from Western Illinois University in 1986. He joined the Navy in 1988 and, after flight training, was designated a naval aviator in 1990.
Michael P. "Buzz" Donnelly is a United States Navy rear admiral and naval flight officer who has served as Director of Air Warfare of the United States Navy since August 3, 2023. He most recently served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70 from October 2021 to June 2023. He previously served as the 37th commander of United States Naval Forces Korea, concurrently serving as commander of Navy Region Korea and Task Force 78 from April 2019 to September 2021.
James A. Aiken Jr. is a United States Navy rear admiral and surface warfare officer who serves as the 11th commander of the United States Naval Forces Southern Command and United States Fourth Fleet since September 3, 2021. He previously served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3 from April 30, 2020 to August 2021, with command tours as commodore of Destroyer Squadron 60 from December 13, 2013 to August 3, 2015, and commanding officer of the USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) from April 18, 2007 to October 15, 2008. He was promoted to his present rank on April 1, 2021.
James Adam Kirk is a retired United States Navy rear admiral and surface warfare officer who last served as the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3 from November 18, 2022 to June 9, 2023. He previously served as a special assistant to the Commander, Naval Surface Force Pacific from June 2022 to November 2022; commander of Carrier Strike Group 15 from June 2021 to June 2022; deputy commander and chief of staff for Joint Warfare Center, Allied Command Transformation in Stavanger, Norway.
