HAMPTON ROADS — Family, friends and sailors gathered to welcome Adm. Karl Thomas as he began his tenure as Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command at a ceremony on board the USS Harry S. Truman Dec. 1.
During the ceremony, Thomas officially received command from Vice Adm. John E. Gumbleton, the acting commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. In attendance were Congressman Rob Wittman and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, high-ranking military officials from various NATO countries and local government officials.
Adm. Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, presided over the ceremony.
“Adm. Thomas brings exceptional leadership experience and strategic vision to U.S. Fleet Forces Command at a critical time for our Navy,” said Caudle. “His distinguished career spanning information warfare, intelligence operations, and fleet leadership makes him uniquely qualified to lead our forces in maintaining maritime superiority and readiness. I have complete confidence in his ability to guide Fleet Forces Command as we navigate an increasingly complex global security environment and ensure our sailors are trained, equipped, and ready to defend our nation’s interests worldwide.”
In remarks made at the ceremony, Thomas shared his vision for U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
“We are a global Navy — the world’s premier maritime force, protecting our homeland and forward deployed with the capability to project power across all domains of naval warfare,” Thomas said. “I am honored to work alongside our dedicated Fleet Forces team to continue to enhance fleet readiness, force generation and employment.”
Thomas, who hails from Northern Virginia, earned his commission in 1986 after graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A carrier aviator in the E-2C Hawkeye, he served at sea as a division officer in Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 114; as ship’s navigator aboard USS New Orleans and USS Essex; as a department head in VAW 117; and as executive officer and commanding officer of VAW 117 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
After graduating from nuclear power school, Thomas served as executive officer for both USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS George Washington, delivering the first permanently forward-deployed nuclear aircraft carrier to Japan. He commanded the U.S. 6th Fleet Command Ship, USS Mount Whitney; USS Abraham Lincoln during the ship’s refueling complex overhaul; and USS Carl Vinson in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Prior to taking command of U.S. Fleet Forces, Thomas served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and Director of Naval Intelligence.
U.S. Fleet Forces Command is responsible for manning, training, equipping, and employing 138,000 active duty sailors, reservists, and civilians; more than 120 ships and submarines; 1,500 aircraft; seven task forces; and five carrier strike groups. USFFC also directs training and readiness across the maritime domain, prepares forces for worldwide deployment, and provides combat-ready naval forces to combatant commanders.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Thomas shared that one of his ultimate goals is transparency.
“I’ve been a sailor my entire life … I’ve been fortunate to command, but it really is all about the sailors. Our ships, our submarines, our airplanes, are only as good as the sailors that man them and train them. If there is one thing that our sailors want more than anything, it’s stability. We can’t always succeed in that, and when we can’t, being transparent and explaining the reasons why we’re making the decisions that we are. Sailors will do anything for you if they understand why you are asking them to do it,” Thomas said.
Thomas is the 44th Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
For more information, visit usff.navy.mil.