John Dickson Stufflebeem

Last updated

John Dickson Stufflebeem
Vice Adm. John Dickson Stufflebeem.jpg
Stufflebeem as a vice admiral
Nickname(s)Boomer
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1969–2008
Rank Vice Admiral
Retired as a Rear Admiral
Commands heldDirector, Navy Staff
6th Fleet
Carrier Group Two
Fighter Squadron Eighty-Four
Carrier Air Wing One
Awards Legion of Merit (4)
Bronze Star
Air Medal (2)

John Dickson "Boomer" Stufflebeem is a former United States Navy vice admiral who last served in that rank as the director of Navy Staff. Stufflebeem served 39 years in the Navy and is well known for his football career [1] and television briefings from the Pentagon following the attacks of 9/11 and subsequent military operations in Afghanistan. [2] He is the Senior Vice President and founder of the NJS Group, LLC, a company specializing in strategic communications and planning as well as crisis management. [3]

Contents

Stufflebeem enlisted in the Navy Reserve in 1969 beginning his service as a deck seaman before being accepted into the United States Naval Academy in 1971. Stufflebeem played on the Naval Academy football team, [4] earning the nickname "Boomer" for his prowess as a punter. He earned All-East Coast Athletic Conference and Sports Illustrated honors in 1974 when his punting kept Navy competitive in a game versus Notre Dame until the last quarter. Navy lost the game, played in Philadelphia, 14–6. [5]

He graduated from the academy in 1975. Although undrafted by any NFL team, his first assignment to the Detroit area allowed him to participate in three pre-seasons of professional football with the Detroit Lions. [6]

Military career

Stufflebeem was designated a Surface Warfare Officer in 1978 and Naval Aviator in 1980. As a commissioned officer, Stufflebeem served operational tours in a surface combatant, various fighter squadrons and carrier air wing staffs in the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. He commanded Fighter Squadron Eighty-Four and Carrier Air Wing One during combat operations in the Balkans and Persian Gulf and Carrier Group Two/Task Force 60 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stufflebeem has flown over 4,000 hours in a variety of fighter aircraft and has more than 1,000 aircraft carrier landings. [7]

Additionally, Stufflebeem has served in staff assignments including Military Aide to President George H. W. Bush, Deputy Executive Assistant and later, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. His first assignment as a flag officer was Deputy Director for Global Operations (J-3) on the Joint Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom. [7]

On May 20, 2005 at Naval Support Activity Naples, Stufflebeem was promoted to vice admiral and took command of the 6th Fleet, relieving then-Vice Admiral Harry Ulrich. He held this position until September 2007. [8]

Pentagon spokesperson

Following the attacks on the U.S. of September 11, 2001, then Rear Admiral Stufflebeem became the face and voice from the Pentagon of U.S. military operations being conducted in Afghanistan to remove the Taliban from power and rid the country of al Qaeda. For months he provided briefings from The Pentagon to international television and radio media on the prosecution of what was known as Operation Enduring Freedom as most reporters were not in Afghanistan during this time.[ citation needed ]

NATO

While serving as the commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet and NATO's operational command in Lisbon, Portugal, then Vice Admiral Stufflebeem led the first deployment of NATO Response Force troops out of the European theater to Pakistan. [9] [10] This was a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in response to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. Additionally, he supported the African Union Mission in Sudan, the political-military mission to address the problems occurring in Darfur. [11]

Controversy

In December 2007, Stufflebeem assumed the duties of Director, Navy Staff, relieving then-Vice Admiral Mark P. Fitzgerald. Early in 2008, the Department of Defense began an investigation into an allegation that Stufflebeem had an affair while serving as a presidential military aide to the White House in 1990. [12] The Navy announced on March 24, 2008 that Stufflebeem was removed as director of the Navy Staff. His removal was directly due to the false and misleading testimony Stufflebeem gave to investigators and in conversations with his seniors on multiple occasions. [13] As a result, Stufflebeem reverted back to his permanent two-star rank. [14] In April 2008, the US Navy announced that Stufflebeem had received a written reprimand as a result of non-judicial punishment following the investigation. [15] He subsequently retired from the Navy with the rank of rear admiral. [16] [17]

Awards and recognitions

In 2000 at its annual awards banquet, the NCAA honored Stufflebeem as one of its Silver Anniversary Award Recipients that recognizes up to six nationally distinguished former student-athletes on their 25th anniversary as college graduates. [18] [19] In 2003 Bill Belichick (who was the special teams coach of the Detroit Lions in 1976) had Stufflebeem deliver a message to the New England Patriots before a game. [20]

Military awards and decorations

Stufflebeem's military decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (four awards), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and Air Medal (two strike/flight awards). [7]

Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Navy Distinguished Service Medal
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Superior Service Medal w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit with three Gold Stars
Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal ribbon.svg Air Medal w/ Bronze Numeral "2"
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with one Gold Star
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation with two Bronze Stars
Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 1st award.svg Navy "E" Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg National Defense Service Medal with two Bronze Stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg Southwest Asia Service Medal with one Bronze Star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon.svg Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg Humanitarian Service Medal
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one Silver Star and one Bronze Star
Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon w/ one Bronze Star
Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg National Order of the Legion of Honour of France (Knight degree)
Grand Cross of the Medal of Military Merit ribbon.jpg Military Merit Medal of the Portuguese Republic (First Class)
NATO Meritorious Service Medal bar.svg NATO Meritorious Service Medal
NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg NATO Medal for ex-Yugoslavia
Inter-american defense board medal ribbon.svg Inter-American Defense Board Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
United States Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with sharpshooter device.svg Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon w/ Bronze "S"

Foreign awards

Devices and badges

Related Research Articles

Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Sixth Fleet</span> Numbered fleet of the United States Navy

The Sixth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy operating as part of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixth Fleet in 2011 is that it "conducts the full range of Maritime Operations and Theater Security Cooperation missions, in concert with coalition, joint, interagency, and other parties, in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa." The current commander of the Sixth Fleet is Vice Admiral Thomas E. Ishee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Giambastiani</span> 7th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Edmund Peter Giambastiani Jr. is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the seventh vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2005 to 2007. He retired in 2007, after 37 years of service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic</span> Former NATO Supreme Commander

The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at Norfolk, Virginia. The entire command was routinely referred to as 'SACLANT'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James L. Holloway III</span> American admiral

James Lemuel Holloway III was a United States Navy admiral and naval aviator who was decorated for his actions during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. After the Vietnam War, he was posted to The Pentagon, where he established the Navy's Nuclear Powered Carrier Program. He served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1974 until 1978. After retiring from the Navy, Holloway served as President of the Naval Historical Foundation from 1980 to 1998 and served another ten years as its chairman until his retirement in 2008 when he became chairman emeritus. He was the author of Aircraft Carriers at War: A Personal Retrospective of Korea, Vietnam, and the Soviet Confrontation published in 2007 by the Naval Institute Press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard J. Naughton</span>

Rear Admiral Richard Joseph Naughton was the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy from 2002 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann E. Rondeau</span> United States Navy admiral

Ann Elisabeth Rondeau is a retired United States Navy vice admiral. During her tenure in the navy, she received two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and four Legion of Merit awards. Rondeau was the president of National Defense University and, after serving as the president of the College of DuPage, was chosen by United States Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer to be president of the Naval Postgraduate School in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giampaolo Di Paola</span> Italian politician

Giampaolo Di Paola is an Italian naval officer who served in the government of Italy as minister of defense from November 2011 to April 2013. He was the Italian military's Chief of Staff from 10 March 2004 to 8 February 2008 and served as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2008 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew L. Klunder</span>

Rear Admiral Matthew Lewis Klunder was the Chief of Naval Research at the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia from 2011 to 2014. In July 2010, Klunder reported as director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Capabilities Division, OPNAV N2/N6F2 following his assignment as the 83rd Commandant of Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse A. Wilson Jr.</span> United States rear admiral

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James P. Wisecup</span>

James P. "Phil" Wisecup is a retired United States Navy vice admiral, who last served as the 38th Naval Inspector General. Prior to that, he served as the president of the Naval War College. Since October 2013, he has been director of the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert D. Riley</span> United States Navy admiral

Herbert Douglas Riley was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice admiral. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he trained as naval aviator and distinguished himself first as commanding officer of the escort carrier USS Makassar Strait during the combats at Iwo Jima and Okinawa during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kirby (admiral)</span> United States rear admiral and government official

John F. Kirby is a retired United States Navy rear admiral serving as White House National Security Communications Advisor since 2024. He previously served in the Biden administration as Pentagon Press Secretary and Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs from 2021 to 2022 and as Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House from 2022 to 2024. He worked as a military and diplomatic analyst for CNN from 2017 to 2021. He served in the Obama administration as Pentagon Press Secretary from 2013 to 2015 and as the spokesperson for the United States Department of State and Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs from 2015 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Cavo Dragone</span> Italian naval officer

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone is an Italian naval officer, currently serving as Chief of the Defense Staff since 19 October 2021. Prior to his assumption, he served as the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy from 21 June 2019 to 19 October 2021, and as commander of the Joint Operations Command, and the Joint Special Forces Operations Headquarters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara A. Joyner</span> United States Navy admiral

Sara Annette Joyner is a United States Navy officer. She is the first female strike fighter pilot to command a United States Navy fighter squadron and a carrier air wing. Her promotion to rear admiral was authorized by the United States Senate on 25 May 2017. On 24 February, the Secretary of Defence announced that Joyner would be promoted to the rank of rear admiral ; she was pinned on 1 April 2021. She was promoted to vice admiral on 3 June 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Braithwaite</span> American government official & diplomat (born 1960)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew L. Lewis (admiral)</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Force Command Norfolk</span> NATO multinational naval formation/command

Joint Force Command - Norfolk (JFC-NF) is a joint operational level command part of the NATO Military Command Structure under Allied Command Operations. Its headquarters is located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Vandier</span> French naval officer

Pierre Vandier is a French naval officer who served as Chief of Staff of the French Navy.

References

  1. ↑ Wood, Melissa (January 14, 2000). "Glory days 20 years ago, John "Boomer" Stufflebeem turned down a pro football career for the navy. He hasn't regretted it". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012.
  2. ↑ "DoD News Briefing – Rear Adms. Quigley and Stufflebeem". U.S. Department of Defense. October 19, 2001. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ "John Stufflebeem '70 Named Chairman of R-MA Board of Trustees | Randolph-Macon Academy". www.rma.edu. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  4. ↑ Jares, Joe (October 9, 1972). "The Week". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Vol. 37, no. 15. p. 79. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ Sports Illustrated, November 11, 1974, Volume 41, No. 20; Street & Smith's College Football 50th Anniversary Issue, Collector's Issue, 1940–1990 All East Team
  6. ↑ David Brown (March 30, 2008). "Vice admiral fired over false testimony". NavyTimes.com. Army Times Publishing Company. Retrieved May 10, 2008. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1975, Stufflebeem was a practice-squad punter for the Detroit Lions under a special program that allowed the NFL to carry military players in a reserve status while they are on active duty. The Lions asked Stufflebeem to join them full time, but the aviator opted to fly jets[ dead link ]
  7. 1 2 3 "U.S. Navy Biographies: Rear Admiral John Dickson Stufflebeem". navy.mil. Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved September 25, 2020.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  8. ↑ Jamie McIntyre (May 9, 2008). "Admiral's affair included sex at White House". CNN.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2008. He was commander of the 6th Fleet from May 2005 to September 2007.
  9. ↑ "NATO Response Force arrives in Pakistan". NATO. October 25, 2005. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  10. ↑ "NATO Response Force in Pakistan". NATO. November 8, 2005. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  11. ↑ http://www.jhlb.nato.int/uploads/Documentos/News/Press/News%20Release%200801%20ENG.pdf%5B%5D
  12. ↑ "Report No. H08L106050007" (PDF). defense.gov. Department of Defense. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  13. ↑ Starr, Barbara (March 24, 2008). "Navy: Former commander fired for lying". edition.cnn.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  14. ↑ McIntyre, Jamie (May 9, 2008). "Report: Admiral's affair included sex at White House". CNN. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  15. ↑ "U.S. rear admiral given reprimand". The Philadelphia Inquirer . April 22, 2008.
  16. ↑ "Navy: Admiral seeks retirement in lying case". CNN. April 21, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  17. ↑ "RADM John Stufflebeem '70 to Speak at R-MA Virtual Graduation | Randolph-Macon Academy". www.rma.edu. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  18. ↑ "NCAA Honors Dinner". Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  19. ↑ "2000 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Recipients". Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Patriots Beat – Admiral offers a sober message". Providence Journal. August 24, 2003.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.