Joseph Aucoin

Joseph P. Aucoin
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1980 -
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	United States Seventh Fleet

Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin is Commander of the United States Seventh Fleet.^[1]

Career

Aucoin graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and received his commission through the University of North Carolina Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program in 1980. He was designated a naval flight officer in 1981 and reported to Fighter Squadron (VF) 101 for initial training in the F-14 Tomcat.^[1]

He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" and Bronze Stars. He is an Arthur S. Moreau Scholar and holds master's degrees in Public Administration from Harvard University and in National Security Studies and Strategic Affairs from the Naval War College.^[1]

Potential conflict with North Korea

Speaking at West 2017 Conference in 2017, Aucoin stated, "If there's a fight tonight, it's probably going to happen on the Korean Peninsula."^[2] He went on to say,

We've got E-2Ds out there in Iwakuni (Japan) now, we've got F-35Bs with III Marine Expeditionary Force, we've got an all-Super Hornet air wing, and in a couple years we'll have F-35Cs out there. We have Virginia-class submarines making lots of deployments in the Western Pacific, and we also have high-end upgraded [ballistic missile defense] shooters in our DDGs. And so that, combined with the TPY-2s (radars) we have in Japan, the Patriot (missile defense) batteries, provides a pretty good umbrella as far as ballistic missile defense. As far as partnerships, we're in our 64th year with the South Koreans and the treaty, our alliance that is the foundation for peace and stability in the peninsula and in the region in Northeast Asia. … We do a lot of exercises, we have two major exercises under U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Vincent Brooks, Key Resolve and Ulchi-Freedom Guardian, that we show the North that we're ready to deter any aggression. With those exercises and those partnerships, I think on a daily basis we show the North that we're ready to effectively stop them if the need arises.^[2]

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References