The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service that is clearly exceptional. The exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration.
The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. Its area of responsibility encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles, and includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. It shares a commander and headquarters with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) in Bahrain. Fifth Fleet/NAVCENT is a component command of, and reports to, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The U.S. Fourth Fleet is a United States Navy numbered fleet. It is the Naval Component Command of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). The Fourth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. It is responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans around Central and South America.
United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. It consists of the United States Fifth Fleet and several other subordinate task forces, including Combined Task Force 150, Combined Task Force 158 and others.
Vice Admiral Alfred Eugene Montgomery was an officer in the United States Navy who served in World War I and World War II. A graduate of the Naval Academy, he participated in operations in the Mexican waters during the Mexican Revolution. He trained for submarines, and became executive officer of the submarine USS E-1. In November 1914 he reported to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard where the new submarine USS F-1 was being fitted out, and served as her commander from June 1917 until she was lost on 17 December 1917.
Charles William "Willy" Moore Jr. is a retired vice admiral in the United States Navy. He was an interim Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland from June 5, 2003 until Vice Admiral Rodney P. Rempt was appointed superintendent on August 1, 2003. He is a 1968 graduate of the Naval Academy. Moore is also a former Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command, commander of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet Readiness and Logistics. From January 1, 2003 until his retirement on October 1, 2004, he was U.S. naval aviation's Gray Eagle.
Philip Scot Davidson is a retired four-star admiral in the United States Navy who last served as the 25th commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command from May 30, 2018 to April 30, 2021. He previously served as the commander of United States Fleet Forces Command and United States Naval Forces Northern Command from 2014 to 2018. Davidson is from St. Louis, Missouri, and is a 1982 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He retired from the U.S. Navy effective May 1, 2021.
Christopher Watson Grady is a United States Navy admiral who is currently serving as the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 20 December 2021.
Lisa Marie Franchetti is a United States Navy admiral who has been the 33rd chief of naval operations since 2 November 2023. She is the first woman to be chief of naval operations, and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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.
Michael Joseph Dumont is an American retired flag officer, naval aviator and vice admiral in the United States Navy who last served as deputy commander of United States Northern Command and Vice Commander, U.S. Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Dumont served in the United States Army for five years as an aviator and paratrooper and later, he joined the United States Navy.
Samuel John Paparo Jr. is a United States Navy admiral who has served as the commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command since 3 May 2024. He most recently served as commander of the United States Pacific Fleet from 2021 to 2024.
George M. Wikoff is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the commander of the United States Naval Forces Central Command, United States Fifth Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces. He previously served as the vice director of the Joint Staff from 2021 to 2023.
Brendan Reid McLane is a United States Navy vice admiral and surface warfare officer who has served as the commander of Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet since 21 December 2023. He most recently served as Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic from May 2021 to June 2023. He previously served as Special Assistant to the commander of the United States Fleet Forces Command, with terms as commander of Carrier Strike Group 10 from May to December 2020 and commander of Navy Recruiting Command from July 2018 to April 2020.
Daniel Lyle Cheever is a United States Navy vice admiral who has served as Commander, Naval Air Forces since 31 January 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.
Frank Mitchell Bradley is a United States Navy vice admiral and commander of Joint Special Operations Command since August 10, 2022. He most recently served as the commander of Special Operations Command Central from 20 July 2020 to 1 July 2022. Prior to that, he served as the assistant commander of Joint Special Operations Command from 2018 to 2020.
