Robert F. Willard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert F. Willard

Admiral Robert F. Willard
Allegiance	U.S. Navy
Years of service	1973-present
Rank	Admiral
Commands	Seventh Fleet USS Abraham Lincoln
Awards	Legion of Merit

Admiral Robert F. Willard is a Los Angeles native and a 1973 graduate of the United States Naval Academy.

A naval aviator, Adm. Willard served consecutively in Fighter Squadron 24 (VF-24), Fighter Squadron 124 (VF-124), and Fighter Squadron 2 (VF-2) at NAS Miramar, deploying aboard USS Constellation (CV-64), USS Ranger (CVA-61) and USS Kitty Hawk. He then joined Navy Fighter Weapons School Top Gun as Operations Officer and Executive Officer, as well as aerial coordinator for the movie Top Gun.

In 1987 Adm. Willard reported to Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51), where he served as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the Screaming Eagles, embarked in USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). He subsequently attended Navy Nuclear Power Training before rejoining Carl Vinson as Executive Officer. Adm. Willard then commanded the flagships USS Tripoli (LPH-10) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in various operations including Somalia, and the Persian Gulf.

As a flag officer, Adm. Willard has served on the Joint Staff as Deputy Director for Operations (Current Readiness and Capabilities); Commander, Carrier Group Five embarked in USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63); Deputy and Chief of Staff, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Commander, Seventh Fleet, embarked in USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) in Yokosuka, Japan; and most recently, Director for Force Structure, Resources and Assessment (DJ8) on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Adm. Willard's awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit and other various awards. He was the 1982 Pacific Fleet Tailhooker of the Year.

Admiral Willard appeared in and was a consultant for the movie Top Gun. He pilots the Mig-28 that receives "the bird" from Goose and Maverick.