The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) 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.
William Evans "Bill" Gortney is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the sixth commander of United States Northern Command and the 23rd commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). He previously served as the Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command from 14 September 2012 to December 2014 and Director of the Joint Staff from 1 July 2010 to August 2012. Prior to that, he served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet. He assumed his post as CDRUSNORTHCOM and commander of NORAD on 5 December 2014, and was succeeded by General Lori Robinson on 13 May 2016.
Nora Wingfield Tyson is a retired United States Navy vice admiral. In 2015, she was installed as commander of the Third Fleet, making her the first woman to lead a United States Navy ship fleet. She retired from service in 2017. Tyson previously served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group Two, from July 29, 2010 to January 12, 2012; she was the first female commander of a United States Navy Carrier Strike Group. She then served as Vice Director of the Joint Staff beginning in February 2012. In July 2013 she was promoted to vice admiral and named as Deputy Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stephen Thomas Koehler is a United States Navy admiral who serves as the commander of the United States Pacific Fleet. He previously served as the director for strategy, plans, and policy of the Joint Staff from 2022 to 2024 and as commander of the United States Third Fleet from 2021 to 2022.
Dennis Velez is a United States Navy rear admiral and surface warfare officer who serves as the chief of staff of the United States Cyber Command. He previously served as the director of plans and policy of United States Cyber Command from June 2023 to June 2024.
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 admiral and naval aviator who has served as the commander of United States Southern Command since 7 November 2024. He previously served as military deputy commander of the United States Southern Command from 2023 to 2024. He previously served as commander of the Navy Personnel Command and Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel from 2021 to 2022. He has command assignments as commander of Carrier Strike Group 1 from 2018 to 2020, and commanding officer of the U.S. Navy’s first hybrid electric propulsion warship, the USS Makin Island (LHD-8) from 2013 to 2014, having started out as its executive officer in February of the former year.
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 4 August 2022. He most recently served as the commander of Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber from 30 June 2021 to 7 June 2022. He previously served as commander of Carrier Strike Group 12 from 7 May 2020 to 17 June 2021.
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.
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.
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 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; and deputy commander and chief of staff for Joint Warfare Center, Allied Command Transformation in Stavanger, Norway.
