Kirkland H. Donald

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Kirkland H. Donald

Admiral Kirkland H. Donald
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1975-present
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (5)

Admiral Kirkland H. Donald, USN is the current Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion. He previously served as Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and Commander, Submarine Allied Command, Atlantic. He assumed his current assignment on November 5, 2004.

Originally from Norlina, North Carolina, Admiral Donald graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 with a bachelor of science in ocean engineering. He also holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and is a graduate of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellows Program.

After completing his initial nuclear power and submarine training, he served on the Batfish (SSN 681), Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN 658), and Seahorse (SSN 669).

Admiral Donald was Commanding Officer of the Key West (SSN 722), from October 1990 to February 1993. He served as Commander, Submarine Development Squadron Twelve from August 1995 to July 1997. From June 2002 to July 2003, he was assigned as Commander, Submarine Group Eight; Commander, Submarine Force Sixth Fleet (CTF 69); Commander, Submarines Allied Naval Forces South; and Commander, Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Force (CTF 164) in Naples, Italy. Most recently, he served as Commander, Naval Submarine Forces; Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; Commander, Allied Submarine Command, Atlantic; and Commander, Task Forces 84 and 144 in Norfolk, Virginia.

His shore assignments include the Pacific Fleet Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board and the staff of the Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion. He also served at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, on the Joint Staff, and as Deputy Chief of Staff for C4I, Resources, Requirements and Assessments, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Admiral Donald assumed his current duties as Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion, on 5 November 2004.

As reported on March 25, 2008, Admiral Donald was assigned by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to investigate nuclear missile fuses that were mistakenly sent to the island of Taiwan. ^[1] Gates, when accepting the resignations of the Air Force Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Air Force on June 5, 2008, cited the report's findings of a "a decline in the Air Force's nuclear mission focus and performance" and a "lack of a critical self-assessment culture" in the Air Force.^[2] However, details of Adm Donald's specific report remain classified.