The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments.
A unified combatant command (CCMD),also referred to as a combatant command,is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces,and conducts broad and continuing missions. There are currently 11 unified combatant commands and each is established as the highest echelon of military commands,in order to provide effective command and control of all U.S. military forces,regardless of branch of service,during peace or during war time. Unified combatant commands are organized either on a geographical basis or on a functional basis,e.g. special operations,force projection,transport,and cybersecurity. Currently,seven combatant commands are designated as geographical,and four are designated as functional. Unified combatant commands are "joint" commands and have specific badges denoting their affiliation.
Harry Binkley Harris Jr. is a retired American diplomat and retired U.S. Navy officer. He was the first American of Japanese descent to lead US Pacific Command in the U.S. Navy and was the highest-ranking American of Japanese descent in the U.S. Navy during his time as commander.
Margaret DeLuca "Peg" Klein is a former United States Navy officer who held the rank of rear admiral at the time of her retirement in March 2017. She currently serves as the dean of the College of Leadership and Ethics at the Naval War College.
Mark Howard Buzby is a retired United States Navy rear admiral who served as the Administrator of the United States Maritime Administration. He retired from the Navy in 2013 and joined Carnival Cruise Line's Safety &Reliability Review Board. Buzby was nominated to be MARAD Administrator in June 2017 by President Donald Trump,and confirmed to the position by the United States Senate on August 3,2017. He resigned from the post on January 11,2021,along with Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao,to protest the 2021 United States Capitol attack.
Mark William Balmert is retired United States Navy rear admiral. His last command was the joint Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Strike Group 3. He retired from the Navy in 2008 and joined Northrop Grumman as a Strategic Senior Consulting Manager.
Joseph Devereux Kernan is a retired United States Navy vice admiral and the former under secretary of defense for intelligence,United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM),Miami,Florida from May 23,2011 to September 2013. He was the second-in-command of one of nine unified commands under the Department of Defense.
James Edwin McPherson is an American government official and retired United States Navy rear admiral. He served as the General Counsel of the Army from January 2,2018 to March 24,2020. He served as the United States Under Secretary of the Army from March 25,2020,to January 20,2021,and in acting capacity from July 23,2019,to March 24,2020. He served as Acting United States Secretary of the Navy from April 7,2020,to May 29,2020,following the resignation of Thomas Modly.
Rear Admiral Roberta L. Hazard was the third female line officer to be promoted to the rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy,and at the time,the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. military. She was the first woman to command a United States Naval Training Command.
Elizabeth Ann Hight is a retired United States Navy rear admiral who served as the vice director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). She assumed this post in December 2007. In 2008,she was nominated for appointment to the grade of vice admiral and assignment as director,Defense Information Systems Agency;commander,Joint Task Force –Global Network Operations;and deputy commander,U.S. Strategic Command Global Network Operations and Defense,Arlington,Virginia. Her nomination was rejected by the Senate due to a perceived conflict of interest with her husband,retired Air Force Brigadier General Gary Salisbury,who is vice president of business development and sales for Northrop Grumman Corp.'s mission systems sector,defense mission systems division. She retired from the Navy in 2010.
RDML Stephen Frederick Williamson is a United States Naval officer. In 2015,Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that President Barack Obama had nominated Capt. Stephen F. Williamson for the rank of Rear admiral.
Althea Helen "Allie" Coetzee Leslie is a retired rear admiral in the United States Navy who served as Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration from August 2017 to April 2018. Prior to her role with the Small Business Administration,she served as Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,Technology and Logistics. Coetzee was confirmed as Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration by the U.S. Senate on August 3,2017. She resigned as the Deputy Administrator on April 15,2018.
Anthony Michael Kurta is a retired United States Navy Rear Admiral and government official. Having served as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for most of 2017,he is President Donald Trump's nominee to become Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Kurta previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy and Director of Navy Flag Officer Management and Development.
James F. Geurts is an American former government official and retired United States Air Force colonel who most recently served as the official Performing the Duties of United States Under Secretary of the Navy.
Kenneth John Braithwaite II is an American politician,diplomat,businessman and naval officer who served as the 77th secretary of the Navy from May 29,2020,to January 20,2021 in the Donald Trump administration. Prior to that,he served as the U.S. ambassador to Norway,beginning February 8,2018. Braithwaite is a retired U.S. Navy one-star rear admiral,having served in the Iraq War.
Jon Christopher Kreitz is a retired United States Navy Rear Admiral and former Deputy Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. He is an Independent Director on the board of directors of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).
Paul J. Schlise is a rear admiral in the United States Navy.
Kelly A. Aeschbach is a vice admiral in the United States Navy who currently serves as the commander of U.S. Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR). Before that,she served as Director of the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office and Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence. and prior to that as Deputy Director of Intelligence for United States Forces –Afghanistan.
Andrew Lloyd Lewis is a retired admiral in the United States Navy who last served as the commander of the United States Second Fleet and NATO Joint Force Command for the Atlantic. Lewis previously served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations,Plans and Strategy. He took command of the United States Second Fleet upon its reestablishment on August 24,2018.
William Kevin Lescher is a retired four-star admiral in the United States Navy who last served as the 41st Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He held this office from May 29,2020 to September 2,2022. Lescher was also the "Old Goat",the longest serving Naval Academy graduate on active duty,from 2018 to 2022.
