Then-Rear Adm. Andrew Lewis, then-commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, delivers remarks as the guest speaker during a change of command ceremony in the hangar bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) on July 21, 2015. US Navy photo.
The Navy’s top strategy and plans officer was nominated to serve as the commander of the newly re-established U.S. 2nd Fleet, according to a Pentagon news release.
Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis has served as deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy (OPNAV N3/N5) since August 2017. As head of 2nd Fleet, he would manage training and operations of naval forces in the Atlantic. 2nd Fleet is meant to serve a similar role as U.S. 3rd Fleet, which prepares naval assets for deployments in the Pacific.
Lewis is a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and was designated a naval aviator in April 1987. He has commanded Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 and VFA-15, Carrier Air Wing 3 deploying with USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), Carrier Strike Group 12 deploying with USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), and Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. As a flag officer, he has also served as the vice director for operations (J3) on the Joint Staff and the director of fleet training (N7) at U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
If confirmed, Lewis will be among the first new 2nd Fleet staff to show up in what may be a long process of getting the command staffed. A defense official told USNI News that 15 billets have been identified and orders are being issued now, with the first staff set to report to the 2nd Fleet headquarters in Norfolk next month. They will work out of the Fleet Forces offices, and as the staff grows they may move into their own office. The official said it could take until 2020 to fully staff the office, which USNI News has previously reported will eventually grow to about 250 personnel.
French Rear Adm. Olivier Lebas, right, commander, Task Force 473, speaks with Rear Adm. James Malloy, then the commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10, on the aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91) on Dec. 6, 2016. US Navy photo.
Rear Adm. James Malloy has been nominated to replace Lewis as the N3/N5. Malloy currently serves as the vice director for operations (J3) on the Joint Staff. Malloy is a 1986 Naval Academy graduate who commanded USS Pinckney (DDG-91) on its maiden deployment, commanded Destroyer Squadron 50 and Carrier Strike Group 10 during operations in the Middle East, served as the initial requirements officer for the Littoral Combat Ship in the surface warfare directorate on the chief of naval operations’ staff, and most recently served as deputy director of operations for U.S. Central Command (J3). He has been the J3 on the Joint Staff since July 2017.
Then-Brig. Gen. John Jansen receives the Defense Cooperation Award 2nd Class from Japanese Ground Self Defense Force Maj. Gen. Shinichi Aoki during the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade change of command ceremony at the theater on Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, July 21, 2017. US Marine Corps photo.
Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John Jansen was nominated to serve as deputy commandant for programs and resources, the Marines’ top financial and budget officer. Jansen currently serves as the commandant of the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security at the National Defense University. He earned his commission in 1986, was designated a naval aviator in January 1990, and served as a F/A-18 Hornet pilot, forward air controller and logistics officer and operations officer. Jensen has commanded Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 251, Marine Aircraft Group 11 at 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Jansen has more than 3,100 flight hours total, with 2,800 hours in the F/A-18 and more than 480 arrested carrier landings.
Navy Rear Adm. John Hannink was nominated to serve as the judge advocate general of the Navy. Hannink, currently the deputy JAG, is a 1985 Naval Academy graduate and completed law school in 1994. He has served as deputy staff judge advocate for U.S. 5th Fleet, staff judge advocate for 2nd Fleet, deputy legal counsel to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and staff judge advocate for U.S. Pacific Command. Most recently, he served as a fellow on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group in Newport, R.I.
Rear Adm. Michael Dumont was appointed to serve as the deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and vice commander of the U.S. element of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Dumont currently serves as the vice director of the Joint Staff.