GREAT LAKES, Ill. – Captain Craig T. Mattingly, who commands Naval Service Training
Command (NSTC), received his permanent appointment to the grade of Rear Admiral (Lower
Half) at a ceremony held at the historic Building One, Naval Station Great Lakes December 21.
Mattingly was joined by his wife Cindy, and their daughters who conducted the ceremony from start to finish; Mary, the Master of Ceremony, Emma, the guest speaker, and Madeline, a Lieutenant Junior Grade (Lt.j.g.) in the Navy, administered the oath.
Emma remarked that it was such an honor that her father asked her to speak at his promotion ceremony. “He is a natural leader. No one is more deserving than him, and I couldn’t be prouder to call him my dad.”
After the reading of the frocking authorization letter issued from the Chief of Naval Operations, Mattingly’s words to the audience were filled with thanks and gratitude to all of the people who have affected his career along the way. He noted his sincere appreciation to those who have helped him achieve success.
“If I have succeeded in the Navy, it is because of the work ethic imparted to me on our family farm in Kentucky and my experience as an enlisted Sailor,” said Mattingly. “These experiences, my faith, my teammates, mentors, and my family have gotten me to this day.”
In addition, he remarked that it was a special day to have his wife and children not only present but also participate in his promotion, as “this life of service is a family sacrifice.” A very special moment was witnessed by all in attendance in person and virtually while his daughter, Lt.j.g. Madeline Mattingly, Naval Aviator, issued the oath to her father.
“This day is about family and I could not be more excited to have them here with me today and for the people they are,” added Mattingly.
Mattingly, a native of Austin, Kentucky, departed the family dairy farm in 1987 to enlist in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator. He is a 1991 Broadened
Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) graduate and a 1995 U.S. Naval
Academy graduate. He was designated as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) in 1997. He holds a
Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College,
Executive Leadership and Management certifications from the University of Notre Dame, is
Joint Qualified and an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI.
Mattingly’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) operational assignments include
Patrol Squadron (VP) 50, Naval Air Station (NAS) Moffett Field, CA; VP-8, NAS Brunswick,
ME; and VP-26, NAS Brunswick, ME. He served as the Executive Officer and Commanding
Officer of VP-9, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, HI. He led his squadron on deployment
supporting EUCOM, AFRICOM, and CENTCOM Areas of Responsibility (AOR) as
Commander of multiple Task Groups (CTG). His major command tour was Commander, Patrol
and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven (CPRW-11), NAS Jacksonville, FL. During his tenure as
Commodore, CPRW-11 supported global initiatives to include the inaugural INDOPACOM
deployments of the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aerial System and P-8A Poseidon Advanced
Airborne Sensor as well as the P-3C Littoral Surveillance Radar System; P-8A deployments
supporting all Geographic Combatant Commanders; Commander, Task Force 47 supporting
SOUTHCOM; and Task Group 84 supporting NORTHCOM.
Mattingly’s overseas tours include U.S. SIXTH Fleet N5 Theater Security Cooperation Officer, Gaeta, Italy; Flag Aide to Commander, U.S. SIXTH Fleet/Commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO/Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Lisbon; Special Assistant/Aide de Camp to the Commander, Naval Forces Europe and Africa/Commander,
Allied Joint Force Command, Naples; and N3 Operations Officer/Chief Staff Officer for
Commander, Task Force 72, Misawa, Japan where he conducted MPRF operations including
support of Operation Damayan, a humanitarian response to the aftermath of Super Typhoon
Haiyan in the Republic of the Philippines.
Other assignments include VP-30 Fleet Replacement Squadron NFO Instructor, Fleet NATOPS Evaluator; Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (PMA-290) and Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges (PMA-205) P-8A Poseidon, P-3C Orion and EP-3 Aries Training Systems Assistant Program Manager at Naval Air Systems Command where he earned Acquisition Program Management Level III; and Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy (OPNAV N3/N5).
Prior to reporting as Commander, Naval Service Training Command, Mattingly's most recent assignment was serving as Senior Military Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy.
He has accumulated more than 3,900 flight hours in the P-3C Orion and P-8A Poseidon aircraft
and served on teams that have received various awards and recognition.
Mattingly and his staff at NSTC supports 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy’s Citizenship Development program. NSTC’s support also includes RTC at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, the NROTC program at more than 170 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command (OTC) at Newport, Rhode Island and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NDCC) citizenship development programs at more than 635 high schools worldwide.
Date Taken: | 12.21.2023 |
Date Posted: | 01.16.2024 12:15 |
Story ID: | 461878 |
Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
Hometown: | AUSTIN, KENTUCKY, US |
Web Views: | 4,681 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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