New commander named for US Pacific Fleet

By: The Associated Press 

Vice Adm. John Aquilino, commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, front, talks to Vice Adm. Fahad Ghofaily, commander, Royal Saudi Naval Forces, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Jan. 31, 2018, in the Persian Gulf. President Trump named Aquilino the new commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet on Feb. 9, 2018. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alex Corona/Navy)

HONOLULU — President Donald Trump has named Vice Adm. John Aquilino as the new U.S. Pacific Fleet commander.

Aquilino currently commands the U.S. 5th Fleet operating out of Bahrain.

The U.S. Senate will vote on the nomination that was announced Friday. 

Two Pacific Fleet ships were involved in separate collisions near Japan and Singapore last year that killed 17 sailors. The Navy fired several top leaders, including the commander of the 7th Fleet.

The current Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. Scott Swift, announced in September he would retire after he learned he wouldn’t be promoted to lead all U.S. forces in the region at U.S. Pacific Command.

The Pacific Fleet is headquartered in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Its ships operated from the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Guam and Asia.

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