Michael Mullen | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2007 | |
| Birth name | Michael Glenn Mullen |
| Born | (1946-10-04)4 October 1946 (age 79) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1968–2011 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief of Naval Operations United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa Allied Joint Force Command Naples Vice Chief of Naval Operations United States Second Fleet NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two George Washington Carrier Battle Group USS Yorktown (CG-48) USS Goldsborough (DDG-20) USS Noxubee (AOG-56) |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War Gulf War |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (6) |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy (BS) Naval Postgraduate School (MS) |
Mullen's opening statement at aSenate Armed Services Committee hearing on theNew START treaty. Recorded 17 June 2010 | |
Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen (born 4 October 1946) is a retiredUnited States Navyadmiral who served as the 17thchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2007 to September 2011.
Mullen was the 32ndvice chief of naval operations from August 2003 to August 2004. He then was the commander of both theUnited States Naval Forces Europe and Africa and theAllied Joint Force Command Naples from October 2004 to May 2005. From July 2005 to September 2007, Mullen served as the Navy's 28thchief of naval operations.
As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mullen was the highest-ranking officer in theUnited States Armed Forces and diversified the top ranks of the Pentagon.[1] He retired from the Navy after over 42 years of service. Since 2012, Mullen has been a visiting professor at thePrinceton School of Public and International Affairs.
Mullen was born on 4 October 1946, inLos Angeles, the eldest of five children of Mary Jane (Glenn), who worked as an assistant to comedianJimmy Durante, and Hollywood press agent John Edward "Jack" Mullen.[2][3][4] He attendedSt. Charles Borromeo Church School inNorth Hollywood,[5] and graduated fromNotre Dame High School,Sherman Oaks in 1964. Mullen then attended theUnited States Naval Academy in Annapolis and was classmates with formerCommandant of the Marine CorpsMichael Hagee, former Chief of Naval OperationsJay L. Johnson, former secretary of the Navy and senator from VirginiaJim Webb, National Security Council staff member during theIran–Contra affairOliver North, former director of National IntelligenceDennis C. Blair, andNASAadministratorCharles Bolden. He graduated with aBachelor of Science degree in 1968.[6]
Along with his congeniality, [he] displayed fine leadership qualities. With his well rounded personality, his enthusiasm, and his desire to do his best, Navy-Air is indeed getting an outstanding officer. -- 1968Lucky Bag,USNA college yearbook[7]
As a junior officer, he served in various leadership positions aboardUSS Collett (DD-730),USS Blandy (DD-943),USS Fox (CG-33) andUSS Sterett (CG-31). He has commanded three ships: the gasoline tankerUSS Noxubee (AOG-56), the guided missile destroyerUSS Goldsborough (DDG-20), and the guided missile cruiserUSS Yorktown (CG-48); and has also commandedCruiser-Destroyer Group Two fromUSS George Washington (CVN-73). Mullen's last command at sea was as Commander,U.S. Second Fleet/Commander,NATOStriking Fleet Atlantic (COMSTRIKFLTLANT).
In 1985, Mullen graduated from theNaval Postgraduate School inMonterey, California, with aMaster of Science degree inOperations Research, and in 1991, he attended the six-weekHarvard Business School Advanced Management Program.[8]
Mullen served as Company Officer and Executive Assistant to the Commandant of Midshipmen at theU.S. Naval Academy. He also served in theBureau of Naval Personnel as Director, Chief of Planning and Provisions, Surface Officer Distribution and in theOffice of the Secretary of Defense on the staff of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. On the Chief of Naval Operations' staff, Mullen served as Deputy Director and Director of Surface Warfare and as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements, and Assessments (N8[clarification needed]). He was the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 2003 to October 2004.
Mullen was recognized by his peers in 1987 with theVice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership skill.[9]
As Commander, Allied Joint Force CommandNaples, Mullen had operational responsibility forNATO missions in theBalkans,Iraq, and theMediterranean. As Commander,U.S. Naval Forces Europe, he was responsible for providing overall command, operational control, and coordination of U.S. naval forces in the European Command area of responsibility. He assumed these duties on October 8, 2004, and was relieved of them upon his becomingChief of Naval Operations.
On October 29, 2006, theHonolulu Advertiser published anop-ed by Mullen that defined the concept of the 1,000-ship navy.[10] However AdmiralGary Roughead, Mullen's successor as Chief of Naval Operations, rejected Mullen's concept in favor of a more inclusive vision that includes non-governmental organizations and cooperation with non-allied countries.[11]
On 8 June 2007,Secretary of DefenseRobert M. Gates announced that he would advise PresidentGeorge W. Bush to nominate Mullen to succeed GeneralPeter Pace aschairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;[12] Bush announced the nomination formally on 28 June 2007.[13]
On 3 August 2007, the United States Senate confirmed Mullen as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[14] Mullen was sworn in on October 1, 2007. Upon taking office, Mullen became the first naval officer to hold the Chairman's position since AdmiralWilliam J. Crowe, who served as Chairman prior to the enactment of theGoldwater-Nichols Act in 1986, and who was the immediate predecessor to Armygeneral and laterUnited States Secretary of StateColin Powell.
During his tenure, he was responsible for the appointment of multiple African-American officers to the highest ranks of the military, including the appointment of GeneralLloyd Austin, now the first black secretary of defense, asDirector of the Joint Staff.[1]
On 18 March 2009, Gates recommended to PresidentBarack Obama that Mullen be re-nominated for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs.[15] He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on 25 September 2009[16] and began his second term on 1 October 2009.
On 2 February 2010, Mullen and Gates said that they fully supported President Obama's decision to end the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, which prevented openly gay people from serving in the military. "It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do," Mullen said at aSenate Armed Services Committee hearing. "No matter how I look at the issue...I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, it comes down to integrity—theirs as individuals and ours as an institution".
During Mullen's Senate confirmation hearings for his first term nomination as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mullen identified political progress in Iraq as a critical component of Iraq policy.[17] He noted that, "there does not appear to be much political progress" in Iraq.[17] He also said, "If [the Iraqis] aren't making progress in [the political] realm, the prospects for movement in a positive direction are not very good. Failure to achieve tangible progress toward [political] reconciliation requires a strategic reassessment".[17] Mullen further told the Senate that the United States needs to "bring as much pressure on [Iraq's political leaders] as [the U.S.] possibly can".[17]
Regarding the length and scope of the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Mullen told the Senate that while he does not envision permanent U.S. bases in Iraq, "vital interests in the region and in Iraq require a pragmatic, long-term commitment that will be measured in years, not months".[17]
In 2010, Mullen said, "The most significant threat to our national security is our debt".[18][19]
President Obama,United States Secretary of DefenseLeon Panetta and Admiral Mullen provided the certification required by the Act to Congress on 22 July 2011. Implementation of repeal was completed 60 days later, so thatDADT was no longer policy as of 20 September 2011.
In a speech at Kansas State University,[20] Mullen outlined his views about the best application of military force in present times. He characterized most wars, such as World War II, as wars of attrition, where the reduction or elimination of enemy forces signaled victory. He characterized the Cold War as an issue of containment. In characterizing the current wars inIraq andAfghanistan, he described them as "a fight against a syndicate of Islamic extremists led by al-Qaeda and supported by a host of both state and non-state actors", citing the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan as their "epicenter".
Mullen outlined three principles about the "proper use of modern military forces":
During the aftermath of themurder of George Floyd, President Trump threatened to order federal troops to quell protests; in opposition, Mullen authored an article published inThe Atlantic. Mullen stated, "I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes".[22][23]
President Obama nominated GeneralMartin Dempsey as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff onMemorial Day 2011. Dempsey had only been sworn in as army chief of staff the previous month. On 30 September 2011, Mullen officially retired from the military when his term as chairman ended.
In December 2012, one year into his retirement, Mullen was in the news again, for having been the target ofcomputer hacking, a situation that led to subsequentFBI investigations.[24] In 2013, Mullen joined theboard ofGeneral Motors.[25]
On 11 July 2013, Mullen joined the board of directors ofSprint Nextel Corp directly after a buyout fromSoftBank, one ofJapan's largest cellular companies.[26] In 2016, Mullen joined the Advisory Board ofAfiniti, an Americanunicorn big data and artificial intelligence business.[27] In September 2023, Mullen became chairman of the board of directors of unmanned maritime tech company Saildrone to "help steer the company to address the nation’s defense needs, against rapidly evolving adversaries."[28]
Mullen was vetted byMichael Bloomberg to be his running mate in the2016 presidential election, but Bloomberg decided against running.[29]
In an interview with ABC News on 31 December 2017, Mullen stated his belief that the United States was close to anuclear war withNorth Korea.[30]
On 22 May 2024, Secretary of the NavyCarlos Del Toro announced that DDG 144, a Flight IIIArleigh Burke-class destroyer, would be namedUSS Michael G. Mullen in his honor.[31]
| Ensign | Lieutenant (junior grade) | Lieutenant | Lieutenant commander | Commander | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| 5 June 1968 | 5 June 1969 | 1 July 1971 | 1 October 1977 | 1 June 1983 | 1 September 1989 |
| Rear admiral (lower half) | Rear admiral | Vice admiral | Admiral |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 |
 |  |  |  |
| April 1, 1996 | 5 March 1998 | 21 September 2000 | 28 August 2003 |
| Ribbon[34] | Description | Notes |
  | Defense Distinguished Service Medal | with three bronzeoak leaf clusters |
  | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | with one goldaward star |
 | Defense Superior Service Medal | |
  | Legion of Merit | with one silver award star |
 | Meritorious Service Medal | |
 | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal | |
 | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal | |
 | Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon | |
 | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon | |
 | Navy "E" Ribbon | withWreathed Battle E device |
 | Navy Expeditionary Medal | |
  | National Defense Service Medal | with two bronzeservice stars |
 | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | |
 | Vietnam Service Medal | with one bronze star |
 | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | |
 | Humanitarian Service Medal | with one bronze star |
 | Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon | with three bronze stars |
 | Navy Overseas Service Ribbon | with one bronze star |
| Ribbon | Issuing nation/organisation | Description | Date awarded | Notes |
 | Republic of Chile | National Order of Merit (Commander)[35] | ||
 | Republic of Italy | Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[34] | 14 April 2007 | |
 | French Republic | National Order of the Legion of Honour[34] | 12 May 2007 | |
_BAR.svg) | Commonwealth of Australia | Honorary Officer of theOrder of Australia (Military Division)[36] | 5 November 2010 | For distinguished service to the military relationship between Australia and the US as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US |
 | Federal Republic of Germany | Federal Cross of Merit[37] | 9 June 2011 | For concern for German soldiers, his role in strengthening the close German-American friendship, and his services to the Federal Republic of Germany |
 | Republic of Vietnam | Vietnam Gallantry Cross(device(s) unknown) | ||
 | Republic of Vietnam | Vietnam Civil Actions Medal 1st Class | ||
_ribbon.svg) | Canada | Meritorious Service Cross[38] | 2013 | |
 | Japan | Order of the Rising Sun, 1st class | ||
 | Republic of Vietnam | Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Ribbon[34] | ||
 | Republic of Vietnam | Civil Actions Unit Citation Ribbon[34] | ||
 | NATO | NATO Medal forFormer Yugoslavia[34] | ||
 | Republic of Vietnam | Vietnam Campaign Medal |
| Badge | Description |
 | Navy Surface Warfare Badge (Officer) |
 | Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge |
In 1987, Mullen was awarded theVice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.[9]In 2009 the U.S. veterans group Soldier On awarded Admiral Mullen the first Soldier On Award, created for them by sculptorAndrew DeVries.[39] The Soldier On Award recognizes individuals whose leadership and actions have advanced the goal of ending veteran homelessness.[40]
In 2010, Mullen was appointed an HonoraryOfficer of the Order of Australia.[41]
An auditorium was dedicated in his name 1 March 2012, before a graduation ceremony at theSurface Warfare Officers School inNewport, Rhode Island.[42]
In 2024, theUSS Michael G. Mullen was named after him due to him being a, "visionary leader in the mold of the greatest naval leaders that came before".[43]
Mullen is married to Deborah and together they have two sons, John "JMuls" Mullen and Michael Edward Mullen.[34]
I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.
I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Vice Chief of Naval Operations 2003–2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander ofUnited States Naval Forces Europe 2004–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Commander ofAllied Joint Force Command Naples 2004–2005 | ||
| Preceded by | Chief of Naval Operations 2005–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2007–2011 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Order of precedence of the United States as Former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Succeeded byas Former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
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| Other | |
