Courtesy Photo | NORFOLK, Va. - Admiral Christopher Grady, center, commander, United States Fleet...... read more read more
By Dr. Michael A. Brown Sr.
NWDC Public Affairs Officer
NORFOLK, Va. – Newly-promoted Rear Admiral John F. Meier assumed command from Rear Admiral Marcus Hitchcock in a Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) change of command ceremony today.
Meier comes to NWDC after commanding Carrier Strike Group 10, Norfolk, Va., since March 2018. Hitchcock becomes special assistant to the commander, Joint Forces Space Component Command (JFSCC) for Plans and Policy. He served as NWDC commander since September 2017.
The presiding official, Admiral Christopher Grady, commander, United States Fleet Forces Command, promoted Meier before the change of command.
“I’m honored to be reporting as NWDC commander and I’m also incredibly humbled,” Meier said. “Warfare is advancing at an exponential pace. Technology is dramatically changing our environment, and it is changing much faster than we have ever seen in our lives. I would argue that it is changing much faster than ever in the course of history. This means to me that we have to be a much more agile service than we have in the past.
“Your great work demonstrates mastery and purpose that is valuable in using your innovative skills to drive the agenda,” he said. “That’s the part that really excites me the most about NWDC. Our charge is to continue that innovation and drive that culture as far as we can with a sense of urgency.”
Grady commended Hitchcock’s “generational” achievements. “At NWDC, you have made generational advances in the very processes that we use to achieve sustained and repeated innovation as an institution,” he said. Foremost among your accomplishments was the development of the Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) concept. How we will fight in the future. This is a new operational approach to winning the high-end fight in contested environments.”
Hitchcock offered the highest praise to his NWDC family.
“To the super professionals of NWDC, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed working with you,” he said. “Your work is vital and you provide a unique and crucial capability to the Navy. The capability and capacity that you have here – that includes developing concepts and validating them, wargaming and modeling and simulation, and capturing the lessons learned – is important.
“Every day you create capabilities that give the warfighters opportunities to sharpen their swords,” he continued. “So today, every other service is trying to catch up with what you’ve done. NWDC has a very cool mission and it is done by some wicked smart people. And I really like being around them. Thank you all.”
The change of command ceremony recognized Hitchcock’s substantial improvements to U.S. Navy capabilities for both the current and next generation of warfighters. During his tenure, NWDC generated and shaped the Navy's concept for DMO, expanding upon the framework of the National Defense Strategy and Navy strategy to address the challenges to sea control and access in a highly contested environment.
The command institutionalized the Strike Group 360 War Game through its inclusion into the Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP), increasing the warfighting effectiveness of carrier strike group staffs and warfare commanders. Hitchcock directed the addition of a second war game scenario that provided invaluable assessment of new ideas while questioning existing practices, stimulating innovation, and developing new operational concepts in a risk-friendly environment. Under Hitchcock’s guidance as the action lead for the Navy's Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW) campaign, NWDC spearheaded implementation of the Navy-wide EMW Campaign Plan to gain decisive military advantage in the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) and enable freedom of action across all Navy mission areas.
Rear Admiral Meier
Meier is a native of Export, Pennsylvania, and a 1986 graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in General Engineering. He completed flight training in Beeville, Texas, and was “winged” as a naval aviator in August 1988.
Meier’s operational assignments include Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141, Carrier Air Wing (CVW)2, VAQ-128, and executive officer onboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), during which the command was recognized with the 2008, 2009 & 2010 Battle “E” and the 2009 Safety “S.” Command tours include VAQ-136, earning the Safety “S” and Battle “E” in 2004 as well as the 2005 Retention Excellence award; USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44), earning the 2011 Battle “E” ; and most recently PCU Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) earning the 2014 & 2015 Retention Excellence awards.
Meier’s shore assignments include tours at VAQ-129, where he was recognized as the Instructor Pilot of the Year in 1995, EA-6B placement officer at Navy Personnel Command, senior operations officer, and emergency actions officer on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the National Military Command Center. He also served as requirements officer for EA-18G at Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) N88, assistant chief of staff force readiness officer at Commander, Naval Air Forces, and as the assistant commander, Navy Personnel Command for Career Management (PERS-4).
Meier has participated in operations around the world since Desert Storm, lead Southern Partnership Station, and built the crew and culture of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) as her first commanding officer. He has accumulated over 4,000 flight hours and 675 carrier landings. His decorations include the Legion of Merit and various other personal and unit level awards.
Rear Admiral Hitchcock
Hitchcock is a native of Salt Lake City. He is a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering and was subsequently designated a naval aviator in 1987. He is also a graduate of the Naval War College and Armed Forces Staff College, and he completed the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program in 2005.
At sea, Hitchcock commanded "The Swordsmen" of Fighter Squadron (VF) 32, USS Peleliu (LHA 5) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Other operational tours include Attack Squadron (VA) 155 as a division officer, VF-32 as a department head, and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as executive officer. As a naval aviator, he flew off of USS Ranger (CV 62) in 1991 during Desert Storm, Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) supporting Operations Deliberate Guard and Southern Watch, and Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in 2003 during Iraqi Freedom. As a part of ship’s company, he deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom four times.
Ashore, Hitchcock served as an A-6E instructor pilot at VA-128, flag aide to the deputy chief of naval operations (N8) on the staff of the chief of naval operations, deployable training team member at U.S. Joint Forces Command, and deputy CVN requirements officer for Naval Air Forces, Atlantic Fleet.
As a flag officer, he previously served as director, fleet/joint training (N7) at U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and as commander, John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (CSG 3).
Hitchcock’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross (with Combat V), and Bronze Star. He led Battle "E" and "Golden Anchor" award-winning teams in VF-32, LHA 5, and CVN 69, Chief of Naval Operations Safety "S" award recipients from VF-32 and CVN 69, and the Battenberg Cup and "Jig Dog" Ramage award-winning team aboard CVN-69.
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NWDC develops and integrates innovative solutions to complex naval warfare challenges to enhance current and future warfighting capabilities. Command professionals are focused on operational-level concept generation, warfighting development, and cross-domain integration to strengthen U.S. Navy warfighting power.
For more information, contact NWDC Public Affairs, nwdc_pao.fct@navy.mil, (757) 341-4240.
-NWDC-
| Date Taken: | 07.03.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2019 09:46 |
| Story ID: | 331112 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 636 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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