Rear Admiral Derek Christian
is a South African Navy officer, currently serving as Deputy Chief of Joint Operations Division (Special Forces) as from 1 April 2016. He is the former Director of Naval Logistics.
Military career
After completing school at
Grey High School in Port Elizabeth he joined the Navy in 1975. He completed a degree at the Military Academy and then joined the Strike Craft flotilla before volunteering for submarines in 1980.
He attended the US Naval War College from 1996 to 1997. After returning to South Africa he was appointed as the Naval Attache in Washington.
He became the 17th Commandant of the
South African Military Academy
The South African Military Academy is based on similar principles to that of the military academy system of the United States (United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy United States Air Force Academy). The academy is a military ...
in 2006
and was promoted to rear admiral (junior grade) from May 2006. In April 2009 he was posted to Naval Headquarters and assumed the post of Director Naval Logistics in 2011.
He was appointed Deputy Chief of Joint Operations in April 2016 and appointed acting Chief of Joint Operations in October 2016.
, he was due to retire.
Honours and awards
He completed an MBA at the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
as well as an MA in International Relations from
Salve Regina University
Salve Regina University is a private Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The university enrolls m ...
.
His medals include the
Military Merit Medal and the
Legion of Merit from the United States
as well as the Tamandare Medal of Merit
List
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References
Living people
South African admirals
Alumni of Grey High School
Naval War College alumni
Salve Regina University alumni
Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit
Year of birth missing (living people)
Military attachés
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