Joseph D. Kernan

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Joseph D. Kernan
Born February 4, 1955

Place of birth	Travis Air Force Base
Service/branch	United States Navy
Rank	Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
Unit	SEAL Teams DEVGRU
Commands held	United States Fourth Fleet U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Naval Special Warfare Command

Rear Admiral Joseph D. Kernan, USN (born February 4, 1955) is the current Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command the Navy component of United States Special Operations Command and the Special Operations component of the United States Navy. It was announced on April 24, 2008, that RADM Kernan would assume command of the newly re-established United States Fourth Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command effective July 1, 2008.

[edit] Background

Kernan, the son of a career Air Force pilot and Air Force nurse, was born at Travis Air Force Base, California on February 4, 1955. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1977, attended Surface Warfare Officer School, and reported to USS Horne (CG-30) based in San Diego, California. During this tour, he served as an Engineering Officer, completed deployments to the Western Pacific and Middle East regions and was designated a Surface Warfare Officer.

Kernan completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training with Class 117 in 1981. He commanded Platoons at Underwater Demolition Team 12, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, and SEAL Team 5. Additionally while assigned to SEAL Team 5, he served as Detachment Officer-in-Charge of four deployed SEAL platoons and Deputy Commander, Naval Special Warfare Task Force, Middle East Force. He served his executive officer tour at Naval Special Warfare Unit 1 in Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines.

Kernan has served as the Naval Special Warfare Officer Detailer and Community Manager, Deputy/Chief Staff Officer, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Chief of Staff and Deputy, Naval Special Warfare Command and Director, Naval Special Warfare Branch on the Navy Staff. He commanded SEAL Team 2 and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. His joint assignments include Deputy Director and Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Director of Operations, Center for Special Operations, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida.

He assumed duties as Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command in June 2007.

On April 24, 2008, Admiral Gary Roughead, the Chief of Naval Operations, announced that the United States Fourth Fleet would be re-established, effective July 1, with responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean Sea, as well as throughout Central and South America, with Admiral Kernan as the fleet commander, as well as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, the naval component of the United States Southern Command. Kernan will be the first Navy SEAL to serve as a numbered fleet commander.^[1]