William E. Gortney

William Gortney (2014)

William Evans Gortney (born September 25, 1953 in La Jolla , California ) is a former admiral in the United States Navy (USN). December 5, 2014 to May 13, 2016 he was commander of the US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), a part contending powerful cross-regional command of the United States Armed Forces and commander in personal union also the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

From September 14, 2012 to November 24, 2014, Gortney was the commander of US Fleet Forces Command (USFLTFORCOM) based at Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia . He previously served as Director of the United Joint Chiefs of Staff (DJS) in the United States Department of Defense between July 2010 and August 2012 .

Education and career

Gortney graduated from a private university in Elon, North Carolina , with a bachelor's degree in history and political science in 1977 and joined the US Navy as an officer candidate that same year , where he spent a year as a naval aviator at Naval Air Station Pensacola was trained. Until 1980 he was stationed at Naval Air Base Beeville , Texas , then until 1984 with the 82nd Squadron on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz .

This was followed by three and a half years at Naval Air Station in Lemoore , California, where he was promoted to Corvette Captain before he was again transferred to an aircraft carrier, this time the USS Theodor Roosevelt , on which he remained until 1989. During the 1990s, various uses at sea followed, for example on the USS Forrestal (1989–92) and again the Theodor Roosevelt (1992–1995) and on land, for example at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida (1996–97 ) and on the United General Staff (1998–99). Between 1999 and 2004, Gortney served in various positions abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain .

Gortney's further education includes a master's degree in international security policy from Naval War College , Newport , Rhode Island (1996). As an aviator, Gortney recorded over 5,300 flight hours during his career, mainly on the A-7 and F / A-18 .

Service as flag officer

Gortney (here as Vice Admiral) during a press conference in the Pentagon on the international military operation in Libya (March 2011)

As a flag officer , Gortney has already served in several functions in the area of ​​responsibility of USFLTFORCOM. Between 2004 and 2006 he was deployed in the rank of Flotilla Admiral as Deputy Chief of Staff for Global Force Management and Fleet Operations , then from 2007 to 2008 under promotion to Rear Admiral there as Commander of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and the associated 10th Aircraft Carrier Combat Group (CSG- 10), with which he also took part in the 2nd Iraq War .

After he became Vice Admiral was appointed, he commanded from 2008 first the the US Central Command assumed US Naval Forces Central Command and the associated in the Persian Gulf stationed US 5th Fleet and then on 1 July 2010 as Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Transferred to the Ministry of Defense.

On January 23, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Gortney to succeed Admiral John C. Harvey as Commander of US Fleet Forces Command; confirmed by the Senate , Gortney finally took over command on September 14 of the same year, combined with the appointment to admiral.

Since December 5, 2014, Gortney was the successor to General Charles H. Jacoby ( USA ) Commander in Chief of USNORTHCOM and NORAD. On May 13, 2016, he handed over command to General Lori J. Robinson ( USAF ) and retired.

Promotions

rank	date
Ensign	1977
Lieutenant Junior Grade	n / A
Lieutenant	n / A
Lieutenant Commander	1987
Commander	1993
Captain	n / A
Rear Admiral (lower half)	2004
Rear Admiral (upper half)	2007
Vice Admiral	2008
admiral	2012

Awards

Selection of decorations, sorted based on the Order of Precedence of Military Awards :

• Defense Distinguished Service Medal
• Navy Distinguished Service Medal
• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Legion of Merit with three gold stars
• Bronze star
• Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars
• Air Medal with a gold star
• Joint Service Commendation Medal with double oak leaves
• Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal
• Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal
• Humanitarian Service Medal

See also

• United States Armed Forces
• Ranks of the United States Armed Forces
• List of active generals and admirals in the United States Armed Forces

Web links

Commons : William E. Gortney  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

literature

• Marley, David F .: Modern Piracy. A reference handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2011. (With biographical entry on William Gortney; excerpts available from Google Books .)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Biography of Gortney in the US Navy (last accessed October 5, 2013).
2. ↑ ^{a b} Biography of Gortney at USFLTFORCOM ( Memento of the original from January 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English; last accessed on October 5, 2013). 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Marley 2011, p. 143.
4. ↑ Press release of the Ministry of Defense of January 23, 2012 (last accessed on October 5, 2013).
5. ^ Admiral Gortney assumes command at NORAD, USNORTHCOM. North American Aerospace Defense Command, December 7, 2014, accessed February 24, 2016 . 
6. ^ NORAD and USNORTHCOM Change of Command Ceremony. United States Northern Command, May 9, 2016; accessed February 24, 2016 .