An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.
Immediate Release

Flag Officer Announcements

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

Vice Adm. John C. Aquilino for reappointment to the rank of vice admiral, and for assignment as commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command; and commander, Fifth Fleet, in Bahrain.  Aquilino is currently serving as deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, and strategy, N3/N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.   

Rear Adm. John D. Alexander for appointment to the rank of vice admiral, and for assignment as commander, U.S. Third Fleet, San Diego, California.  Alexander is currently serving as director, joint fleet operations, N3/N5, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia.   

Rear Adm. William R. Merz for appointment to the rank of vice admiral, and for assignment as deputy chief of naval operations for warfare systems, N9, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.  Merz is currently serving as director, Undersea Warfare Division, N97, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.