Harold W. Gehman Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Harold W. Gehman | |
| Nickname | Hal |
| Born | (1942-10-15)October 15, 1942 (age 83) |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Service years | 1965–2000 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | United States Joint Forces Command Cruiser-Destroyer Group 8 USS Belknap USS Dahlgren USS Conserver |
| Conflicts | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (4) Bronze Star Medal |
| Other work | Chairman, Columbia Accident Investigation Board Co-chair, Cole Commission BRAC committee |
Harold Webster Gehman Jr.[1] (born October 15, 1942) is a retiredUnited States Navyfour-star admiral who served asNATO'sSupreme Allied Commander, Atlantic (SACLANT),Commander-in-Chief of theUnited States Joint Forces Command, one of the United States'Unified Combatant Commands, andVice Chief of Naval Operations. He was also the Co-Chairman of the Commission that investigated the terrorist attack on theUSSCole and was Chairman of theColumbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) after theSpace ShuttleColumbia disintegrated during reentry in 2003, killing all seven crew members.
Gehman was born inNorfolk, Virginia on October 15, 1942, and graduated fromPennsylvania State University in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science inIndustrial Engineering and a commission in the Navy from theNaval Reserve Officer Training Corps.
A Surface Warfare Officer, he served at all levels of leadership and command inguided missile destroyers andcruisers. During the course of his career, Gehman had five sea commands in ranks from Lieutenant toRear Admiral.
Gehman served inVietnam asOfficer in Charge of aSwift patrol boat and later inChu Lai as Officer in Charge of a detachment of six swift boats and their crews. He subsequently served as executive officer ofUSS Mitscher from March 1971 to February 1973.[2]
Gehman attended theArmed Forces Staff College from August 1975 to January 1976. He then commandedUSS Conserver from January 1976 to June 1978,USS Dahlgren from December 1980 to September 1983,USS Belknap from February 1988 to June 1989 andCruiser-Destroyer Group 8 from July 1993 to July 1994.[2]
His staff assignments were both afloat on aCarrier Battle Group staff and ashore on a fleet commander's staff, a Unified Commander's staff and in Washington, D.C. on the staff of theChief of Naval Operations (four tours).
Promoted to four-star Admiral in 1996, he became the 29th Vice Chief of Naval Operations in September 1996. As Vice Chief of Naval Operations he was a member of theJoint Chiefs of Staff, formulated the Navy's $70 billion budget and developed and implemented policies governing the 375,000 people in the Navy.
Assigned in September 1997 as Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic and Commander-in-Chief,United States Atlantic Command (later changed to Joint Forces Command), he became one of NATO's two military commanders and assumed command of all forces of all four services in the continental United States and became responsible for the provision of ready forces to the other Unified Commanders in Chief and for the development of new joint doctrine, training and requirements.
He retired from the Navy in October 2000.
 | ||
    | ||
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
  |  |  |
 |  |  |
| Badge | Surface Warfare Officer Pin | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Row | Defense Distinguished Service Medal withoak leaf cluster | Legion of Merit with three goldaward stars | |
| 2nd Row | Bronze Star Medal withCombat "V" | Meritorious Service Medal | Joint Service Commendation Medal |
| 3rd row | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with award star | Combat Action Ribbon | Joint Meritorious Unit Award |
| 4th Row | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation | Navy "E" Ribbon | National Defense Service Medal with one bronzeservice star |
| 5th row | Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars | Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with four service stars | Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon |
| 6th row | Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation | Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation | Vietnam Campaign Medal |
In retirement, Gehman has served as chairman of theColumbia Accident Investigation Board,[3] co-chair, with retired generalWilliam W. Crouch, of theDepartment of Defense'sCole Commission,[3][4] on theBase Realignment and Closure (BRAC) committee,[5] and is a Senior Fellow of theNational Defense University's Capstone Program.[citation needed]
Gehman is married to Janet F. Johnson and they have two children, Katherine and Christopher.[6][7]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromNational Defense University bio.United States government. Archived fromthe original on October 8, 2012. This article incorporatespublic domain material fromUS Naval Academy bio(PDF).United States government.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
