Flag Officer Assignments

The acting secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations announced today the following assignments:

Rear Adm. William D. Byrne Jr. will be assigned as director, warfare development, N72, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Byrne is currently serving as vice director, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

Rear Adm. Ronald C. Copley will be assigned as director, National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office; and commander, Office of Naval Intelligence, Washington, D.C.  Copley is currently serving as deputy director of operations, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland.

Rear Adm. Douglas G. Perry will be assigned as director, Undersea Warfare Division, N97, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Perry is currently serving as commander, Submarine Group Nine, Silverdale, Washington.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Christopher C. French, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as deputy judge advocate general of the Navy, Washington, D.C.  French is currently serving as legal counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

Rear Adm. (lower half) George M. Wikoff, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as vice director, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.  Wikoff is currently serving as special assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy, N3/N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Craig C. Clapperton will be assigned as commander, Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber, U.S. Tenth Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland.  Clapperton is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Twelve, Norfolk, Virginia.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Douglas C. Verissimo will be assigned as director, Assessment Division, N81, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Verissimo is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine, San Diego, California.

Capt. Maria L. Aguayo, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic, with additional duties as fleet civil engineer (N01CE), U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia.  Aguayo is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, D.C.

Capt. Erik J. Eslich, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy commander, Seventh Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan.  Eslich is currently serving as executive assistant, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia.

Capt. Joseph B. Hornbuckle, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as commander, Fleet Readiness Centers, Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland.  Hornbuckle is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland.

Capt. Christopher A. Kijek, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, operations and plans, N3, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Kijek is currently serving as executive assistant, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii.

Capt. Stuart C. Satterwhite, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, My Navy Career Center, Millington, Tennessee.  Satterwhite is currently serving as deputy director, enterprise support, Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Arlington, Virginia.

Capt. Ralph R. Smith III, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as vice director for intelligence, J-2, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.  Smith is currently serving as director, Maritime Operations Center, U.S. Tenth Fleet/U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland.