The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with 50 to 70 ships, 150 aircraft and 27,000 Sailors and Marines. Its principal responsibilities are to provide joint command in natural disaster or military operations and operational command of all US naval forces in the region.
A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger and "flotilla" for smaller vessels; both may be used for destroyer units. Similar formations are used in non-English-speaking countries, e.g., the "escadrille"—which would translate directly as "squadron"—in France.
Vice Admiral William Douglas Crowder is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5) in his final assignment, retiring in November 2009. Crowder was the 45th commander of the United States 7th Fleet from September 2006 to July 2008.
A carrier strike group (CSG) is a type of carrier battle group of the United States Navy. It is an operational formation composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, usually an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers or frigates, and a carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircraft. A carrier strike group also, on occasion, includes submarines, attached logistics ships and a supply ship. The carrier strike group commander operationally reports to the commander of the numbered fleet, who is operationally responsible for the area of waters in which the carrier strike group is operating.
Victor G. Guillory is a retired United States Navy rear admiral who, in his last position, served as the Commander, United States Fourth Fleet.
Samuel Perez Jr. is a retired rear admiral in the United States Navy.
Commander, Carrier Strike Group FOUR is the U.S. Fleet Forces Command formation charged with training and certifying Atlantic Fleet Carrier Strike Groups, Amphibious Ready Groups, and independently deploying surface ships. Its mission is to "Conduct safe and effective Strike Force Training of the Atlantic Fleet."
Rear Admiral Jesse Alphonzo Wilson Jr. is a retired United States Navy officer. His last active duty assignment was as commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic.
Jacob Lawrence Shuford was a rear admiral of the United States Navy. His career included service in the Cold War, Kosovo War, and Operation Desert Fox. He commanded surface combatants, served on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Secretary of the Navy, coordinated Navy legislative activities in the United States Senate, and his final assignment as President of the Naval War College.
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.
In the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, captain is the senior-most commissioned officer rank below that of flag officer. The equivalent rank is colonel in the United States Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Marine Corps.
Destroyer Squadron 26 (DESRON-26) is a destroyer squadron of the United States Navy. It was first created in 1950. It has seen action in the Korean War, service in the Atlantic, in the Vietnam War. From 1974 for a period it became the 'Mod Squad', trialling ships commanded by officers one rank junior to the usual appointment rank.
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 December 20, 2021.
Admiral Lisa Marie Franchetti is a United States Navy admiral who has served as the 33rd chief of naval operations since November 2, 2023. She most recently served as the 42nd vice chief of naval operations from September 2022 to November 2023 and as acting chief of naval operations (CNO) from August to November 2023.
Eugene Henry Black III is a United States Navy vice admiral and career surface warfare officer who serves as the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy since October 7, 2022. He previously served as the 30th Commander of United States Sixth Fleet, deputy commander of United States Naval Forces Europe, deputy commander of United States Naval Forces Africa, and as the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander from June 2020 to September 2022.
John Vincent Fuller is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the 42nd Naval Inspector General since June 11, 2021. Prior to that, Fuller served as deputy director for force protection of the Joint Staff and before that as the director of strategy, plans, and policy of the United States Northern Command.
John Blackwelder Nowell Jr. is a retired vice admiral in the United States Navy. Nowell assumed duties as the navy's 59th Chief of Naval Personnel on May 24, 2019. Nowell is a distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering and holds a Master of Science in Weapons Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
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).
David Andrew Welch is a retired United States Navy rear admiral and surface warfare officer who last served as the 74th commander of Carrier Strike Group 15 from June 13, 2019 to June 11, 2021. He previously served as the 3rd commander of the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center from May 8, 2018 to May 31, 2019, with command tours as commodore of Destroyer Squadron 31 from January 2011 to July 2012 and commanding officer of USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) from September 2005 to April 2007. He also served on the staff of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as Director of International Engagement from December 2017 to April 2018.
