The Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), is the title of the United States Navy officer who commands the United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT). Originally established in 1907 as a two-star rear admiral's billet, the position has been held by a four-star admiral since March 19, 1915.
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet | |
---|---|
since April 4, 2024 | |
United States Pacific Fleet | |
Abbreviation | COMPACFLT |
Reports to |
|
Seat | Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
Term length | 2–3 years (approx.) |
Formation | July 22, 1907 |
First holder | RADM William T. Swinburne |
Deputy | Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet |
Website | Official website |
As of April 4, 2024[update], Admiral Stephen Koehler is the 65th and current Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.[1]
History
editThe position has been known by several titles since its inception.
- 1907 to December 6, 1922: Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT)
- December 6, 1922 to April 1, 1931: Commander-in-Chief, Battle Fleet (CINCBATFLT)
- April 1, 1931 to February 1, 1941: Commander, Battle Force, United States Fleet (COMBATFOR)
- February 1, 1941 to October 24, 2002: Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT)
- October 24, 2002 to present: Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT)
List of commanders
editNo. | Commander | Term | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | |
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) | |||||
1 | Rear Admiral William T. Swinburne (1847–1928) | July 22, 1907 | May 17, 1909 | 1 year, 299 days | |
2 | Uriel Sebree (1848–1922) | Rear AdmiralMay 17, 1909 | February 19, 1910 | 278 days | |
3 | Giles B. Harber (1849–1925) | Rear AdmiralFebruary 19, 1910 | November 1, 1910[2] | 255 days | |
- | Edward B. Barry (1849–1938) | Rear AdmiralNovember 1, 1910 | January 15, 1911 | 75 days | |
- | Chauncey Thomas Jr. (1850–1919) | Rear AdmiralJanuary 15, 1911 | 1912 | ~351 days | |
4 | William H. H. Southerland (1852–1933) | Rear Admiral1912 | March 1913 | ~1 year, 59 days | |
5 | Walter C. Cowles (1853–1917) | Rear AdmiralMarch 1913 | January 1914 | ~306 days | |
6 | Admiral Thomas B. Howard (1854–1920) | January 1914 | September 13, 1915 | ~1 year, 255 days | |
7 | Cameron M. Winslow (1854–1932) | AdmiralSeptember 13, 1915 | July 29, 1916 | 320 days | |
8 | William B. Caperton (1855–1941) | AdmiralJuly 29, 1916 | April 30, 1919 | 2 years, 275 days | |
9 | Hugh Rodman (1859–1940) | AdmiralJuly 1, 1919 | July 5, 1921 | 2 years, 4 days | |
10 | Edward W. Eberle (1864–1929) | AdmiralJuly 5, 1921 | December 6, 1922 | 1 year, 154 days | |
Commander-in-Chief, Battle Fleet (CINCBATFLT) | |||||
10 | Edward W. Eberle (1864–1929) [a] | AdmiralDecember 6, 1922 | June 30, 1923 | 206 days | |
11 | Samuel S. Robison (1867–1952) | AdmiralJune 30, 1923 | October 14, 1925 | 2 years, 106 days | |
12 | Charles F. Hughes (1866–1934) | AdmiralOctober 14, 1925 | September 4, 1926 | 325 days | |
13 | Richard H. Jackson (1866–1971) | AdmiralSeptember 4, 1926 | September 10, 1927 | 1 year, 6 days | |
14 | Louis R. de Steiguer (1867–1947) | AdmiralSeptember 10, 1927 | May 21, 1929 | 290 days | |
15 | William V. Pratt (1869–1957) | AdmiralJune 26, 1928 | May 21, 1929 | 329 days | |
16 | Louis M. Nulton (1869–1954) | AdmiralMay 21, 1929 | May 24, 1930 | 1 year, 3 days | |
17 | Frank H. Schofield (1869–1942) | AdmiralMay 24, 1930 | April 1, 1931 | 312 days | |
Commander, Battle Force, United States Fleet (COMBATFOR) | |||||
17 | Frank H. Schofield (1869–1942) | AdmiralApril 1, 1931 | September 15, 1931 | 167 days | |
18 | Richard H. Leigh (1870–1946) | AdmiralSeptember 15, 1931 | August 11, 1932 | 331 days | |
19 | Luke McNamee (1871–1952) | AdmiralAugust 11, 1932 | May 20, 1933 | 282 days | |
20 | William H. Standley (1872–1963) [a] | AdmiralMay 20, 1933 | July 1, 1933 | 42 days | |
21 | Joseph M. Reeves (1872–1948) | AdmiralJuly 1, 1933 | April 1, 1935 | 349 days | |
22 | Frank H. Brumby (1874–1950) | AdmiralJune 15, 1934 | April 1, 1935 | 290 days | |
23 | Harris Laning (1873–1941) | AdmiralApril 1, 1935 | March 30, 1936 | 364 days | |
24 | William D. Leahy (1875–1959) [a] | AdmiralMarch 30, 1936 | December 31, 1936 | 276 days | |
25 | Claude C. Bloch (1878–1967) | AdmiralDecember 31, 1936 | January 29, 1938 | 1 year, 29 days | |
26 | Edward C. Kalbfus (1877–1954) | AdmiralJanuary 29, 1938 | June 24, 1939 | 1 year, 146 days | |
27 | James O. Richardson (1878–1974) | AdmiralJune 24, 1939 | February 1, 1941 | 1 year, 222 days | |
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) | |||||
28 | Husband E. Kimmel (1882–1968) [b] | AdmiralFebruary 1, 1941 | December 17, 1941 | 319 days | |
- | Vice Admiral William S. Pye (1880–1959) Acting | December 17, 1941 | December 31, 1941 | 14 days | |
29 | Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (1885–1966) [c] | December 31, 1941 | November 24, 1945 | 3 years, 328 days | |
30 | Raymond A. Spruance (1886–1969) | AdmiralNovember 24, 1945 | February 1, 1946 | 69 days | |
31 | John H. Towers (1885–1955) | AdmiralFebruary 1, 1946 | February 28, 1947 | 1 year, 27 days | |
32 | Louis E. Denfeld (1891–1972) | AdmiralFebruary 28, 1947 | December 3, 1947 | 278 days | |
33 | DeWitt C. Ramsey (1888–1961) | AdmiralDecember 3, 1947 | April 30, 1949 | 1 year, 148 days | |
34 | Arthur W. Radford (1896–1973) | AdmiralApril 30, 1949 | July 10, 1953 | 4 years, 71 days | |
35 | Felix B. Stump (1894–1972) | AdmiralJuly 10, 1953 | January 14, 1958 | 4 years, 188 days | |
36 | Maurice E. Curts (1898–1976) | AdmiralJanuary 14, 1958 | February 1, 1958 | 18 days | |
37 | Herbert G. Hopwood (1898–1966) | AdmiralFebruary 1, 1958 | August 30, 1960 | 2 years, 211 days | |
38 | John H. Sides (1904–1978) | AdmiralAugust 30, 1960 | September 30, 1963 | 3 years, 31 days | |
39 | U.S. Grant Sharp Jr. (1906–2001) [d] | AdmiralSeptember 30, 1963 | June 26, 1964 | 270 days | |
40 | Thomas H. Moorer (1912–2004) [e] | AdmiralJune 26, 1964 | March 30, 1965 | 277 days | |
41 | Roy L. Johnson (1906–1999) | AdmiralMarch 30, 1965 | November 30, 1967 | 2 years, 245 days | |
42 | John J. Hyland Jr. (1912–1998) | AdmiralNovember 30, 1967 | December 5, 1970 | 3 years, 5 days | |
43 | Bernard A. Clarey (1912–1996) | AdmiralDecember 5, 1970 | September 30, 1973 | 2 years, 299 days | |
44 | Maurice F. Weisner (1917–2006) | AdmiralSeptember 30, 1973 | August 12, 1976 | 2 years, 317 days | |
45 | Thomas B. Hayward (1924–2022) | AdmiralAugust 12, 1976 | May 9, 1978 | 1 year, 270 days | |
46 | Donald C. Davis (1921–1998) | AdmiralMay 9, 1978 | July 31, 1981 | 3 years, 83 days | |
47 | James D. Watkins (1927–2012) [a] | AdmiralJuly 31, 1981 | May 28, 1982 | 301 days | |
48 | Sylvester R. Foley Jr. (1928–2019) | AdmiralMay 28, 1982 | September 16, 1985 | 3 years, 111 days | |
49 | James A. Lyons Jr. (1927–2018) | AdmiralSeptember 16, 1985 | September 30, 1987 | 2 years, 14 days | |
50 | David E. Jeremiah (1934–2013) | AdmiralSeptember 30, 1987 | February 15, 1990 | 2 years, 138 days | |
51 | Charles R. Larson (1936–2014) | AdmiralFebruary 15, 1990 | February 15, 1991 | 1 year, 0 days | |
52 | Robert J. Kelly (born 1938) | AdmiralFebruary 15, 1991 | August 6, 1994 | 3 years, 172 days | |
53 | Ronald J. Zlatoper (1942–2022) | AdmiralAugust 6, 1994 | November 7, 1996 | 2 years, 93 days | |
54 | Archie Clemins (1943–2020) | AdmiralNovember 7, 1996 | October 8, 1999 | 2 years, 335 days | |
55 | Thomas B. Fargo (born 1948) | AdmiralOctober 8, 1999 | May 4, 2002 | 2 years, 208 days | |
56 | Walter F. Doran (born 1945) | AdmiralMay 4, 2002 | October 24, 2002 | 173 days | |
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT) | |||||
56 | Walter F. Doran (born 1945) | AdmiralOctober 24, 2002 | July 8, 2005 | 2 years, 257 days | |
57 | Gary Roughead (born 1951) | AdmiralJuly 8, 2005 | May 8, 2007 | 1 year, 304 days | |
58 | Robert F. Willard (born 1950) | AdmiralMay 8, 2007 | September 25, 2009 | 2 years, 140 days | |
59 | Patrick M. Walsh (born 1955) | AdmiralSeptember 25, 2009 | January 20, 2012 | 2 years, 117 days | |
60 | Cecil D. Haney (born 1955) | AdmiralJanuary 20, 2012 | October 16, 2013 | 1 year, 269 days | |
61 | Harry B. Harris Jr. (born 1956) | AdmiralOctober 16, 2013 | May 27, 2015 | 1 year, 223 days | |
62 | Scott H. Swift (born 1957) | AdmiralMay 27, 2015 | May 17, 2018 | 2 years, 355 days | |
63 | John C. Aquilino (born 1962) | AdmiralMay 17, 2018 | April 30, 2021 | 2 years, 348 days | |
- | Stephen T. Koehler (born 1964) Acting | Rear AdmiralApril 30, 2021 | May 5, 2021 | 5 days | |
64 | Samuel J. Paparo Jr. (born 1964) | AdmiralMay 5, 2021 | April 4, 2024 | 2 years, 335 days | |
65 | Stephen T. Koehler (born 1964) | AdmiralApril 4, 2024 | Incumbent | 222 days |
In popular culture
editIn the movie, Top Gun: Maverick, Val Kilmer plays Adm. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Admiral Stephen T. "Web" Koehler". U.S. Pacific Fleet. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "Admiral Barry named Pacific Squadron Chief". Los Angeles Herald. Washington. October 4, 1910 [October 3, 1910]. p. 14. Retrieved December 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
Notes
edit- ^ a b c d Term shortened due to appointment as Chief of Naval Operations.
- ^ Relieved of command after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
- ^ Nimitz was appointed CINCPAC in grade of admiral; he was promoted to fleet admiral on December 19, 1944.
- ^ Term shortened due to appointment as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command.
- ^ Term shortened due to appointment as Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet.