Stan Arthur

Stanley R. Arthur

Stan Arthur
Nickname Bear
Born September 27, 1935 (1935-09-27) (age 76)
San Diego, California
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1957–1996 (40 Years)
Rank Admiral
Battles/wars Vietnam War
First Gulf War
Awards Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Legion of Merit (4 with Combat "V")
Distinguished Flying Cross (11)
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal (47 Strike/Flight and 4 Individual with Combat "V")
Navy Commendation Medal (2 with Combat "V")

Admiral Stanley R. Arthur, USN (born September 27, 1935)[1] was the Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1992–95, culminating more than 38 years as an officer in the United States Navy.

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Military career

Admiral Arthur was born in San Diego, California and was commissioned in U.S. Navy through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program in June 1957. Following completion of flight training, he was designated as a Naval Aviator in 1958.

Arthur flew more than 500 combat missions in the A-4 Skyhawk during the Vietnam War, receiving 11 separate awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and over 50 separate awards of the Air Medal, making him one of the most highly decorated combat aviators of that conflict. During the 1970s and 1980s, he also held command of a carrier-based attack squadron, a carrier air wing, an aircraft carrier, a carrier battle group, and was Chief of Naval Personnel.

In the First Gulf War then-Vice Admiral Arthur commanded the United States Seventh Fleet and was Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command during Operation DESERT STORM in 1990-91. He directed the operations of more than 96,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel and 130 U.S. Navy and Allied ships. This represented the largest U.S. naval armada amassed since World War II. Admiral Arthur assumed duties as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations on 6 July 1992. He retired from active military service on 1 June 1995.

In that job as the Navy's number two officer, he was also the Navy's most senior Naval Aviator immediately after the 1991 Tailhook Incident.[2] Admiral Arthur was nominated by President Bill Clinton to head U.S. military forces in the Pacific as the prospective Commander of U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), but the nomination was withdrawn after Senator Dave Durenberger, R-Minnesota, questioned Arthur's handling of sexual harassment allegations brought by one of the Senator's constituents, a female Navy student helicopter pilot named Rebecca Hansen, who was attrited from flight training.

Rather than let the Pacific fleet job go unfilled during what might have been protracted hearings, Arthur elected to retire from the Navy on February 1, 1995 as a four-star admiral. Critics charged that the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Boorda, sacrificed Arthur to improve the Navy's image on sexual harassment following the Tailhook Incident.[3] The volume of complaints prompted Boorda to issue an unusual public defense of Arthur and his decision not to fight for the nomination:

"Stan Arthur is an officer of integrity… who chose to take this selfless action… in the interests of more rapidly filling a critical leadership position. Those who postulate other reasons for the withdrawal are simply wrong."[4]

Post Military

Arthur joined Lockheed Martin in 1996 and was appointed President, Missiles and Fire Control – Orlando, Florida in July 1999.

Education

Arthur is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He later earned a second bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and received his master's degree in administration from George Washington University.

Awards

In 1996 Arthur received the Admiral Arleigh A. Burke Leadership Award from the Navy League. He was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor in 2008. He also received the Gray Eagle Award.

The Admiral Stan Arthur Award For Logistics Excellence is presented annually in his honor, and recognizes military and civilian logisticians who epitomize excellence in logistics planning and execution.[5][6]

See also

References