Vice Admiral Melvin Gene Williams Jr. (born November 3, 1955) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

retired officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He is the former Commander,

U.S. Second Fleet The United States Second Fleet is a numbered fleet in the United States Navy responsible for the East Coast and North Atlantic Ocean. The Fleet was established following World War II. In September 2011, Second Fleet was deactivated in view of ...

and former Director, Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence. After military service, Williams served for two years as a Presidential Appointee at the US Department of Energy. He was the Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy; 2011-2013- responsible for day-to-day Management and Operations of the Department of Energy (reporting to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Energy). Since 2013, he has served in academia, and has been designated as a Joint Service Officer (JSO). He and his father are the only pair of African Americans wherein the father reached a top enlisted rank and the son a top officer rank.

Biography

Early life and education

Vice Admiral Williams was born in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

and raised in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

. His father, Master Chief Melvin G. Williams, Sr., also served in the United States Navy (1951-1978). Chief Williams served aboard submarines, aircraft carriers, and other surface ships. Chief Williams would go on to meet then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral

Elmo Zumwalt Elmo Russell "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) was a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a m ...

and highlight continued discriminatory practices in the Steward's Branch of the Navy, practices Zumwalt would later end. Williams attended the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

at Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1978 with a degree in Mathematics. In 1984, he earned a Master's degree in Engineering at

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution ...

Military career

A nuclear trained submariner aboard the USS Jack (SSN 605) where he served with the future CEO of AT&T, RM2(SS) William Hannigan, Vice Admiral Williams served in the U.S. Navy for thirty-two years as a commissioned officer and one year as an enlisted sailor. He was selected for Flag rank in 2002. His extensive operational assignments included four Command opportunities, including Commander of U.S. Second Fleet (130 ships and over 90,000 sailors and marines) which responded with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, Commander of Submarine Group Nine (12 submarines and over 4,000 sailors), Commander of Submarine Squadron Four (6 submarines and their crews), and Commanding Officer of

USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) USS ''Nebraska'' (SSBN-739) is the 14th ballistic missile submarine, and the second United States Navy vessel to be named in honor of Nebraska, the 37th state. She carries Trident ballistic missiles. ''Nebraska'' shares her nickname, "Big R ...

(Gold Crew) - an Ohio-class Strategic Ballistic Missile submarine which was selected as the Top Strategic Mission Performer in the Nation. Other key operational assignments included Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces, Director of Global Operations at U.S. Strategic Command, Executive Officer on

USS Louisville (SSN-724) USS ''Louisville'' (SSN-724), a ''Los Angeles''-class submarine, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Louisville, Kentucky. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corpor ...

during initial combat operations for Operation Desert Storm, Chief of Staff for the KITTY HAWK Carrier Strike Group during initial combat operations for

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

following the

9/11 Attack The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

on the United States. He is also the co-author (with his father) of the leadership book "Navigating the Seven Seas", which in 2012 was designated by the U.S. Navy as one of the 18 books determined to be "essential reading" for all members who serve in the Navy.

U.S. Department of Energy

In 2011, Williams received a Presidential Appointment as Associate Deputy Secretary in the Department of Energy (DOE). There, he reported directly to the Secretary of Energy and

Deputy Secretary of Energy The deputy secretary of energy is a high-ranking position within the United States Department of Energy. The Deputy Secretary is the second-highest-ranking official of the Department and assists the secretary of energy in the supervision and dire ...

as he executed his mission to further DOE effectiveness and operational excellence.

Operation GW VALOR

In 2013, Williams joined The George Washington University to lead the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. There, Williams was responsible for serving and supporting GW student military members, their families, and veterans to accelerate learning opportunities and rewards while working with university senior leadership, students, alumni, and other stakeholders to maximize access and affordability for the military community at GW. GW VALOR under Associate Provost Williams provided strategic-level leadership, close student services and support, and oversight of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program at GW. Williams left GW VALOR in 2016 for a position at UC Davis.

The Catholic University of America

Williams is a former associate dean of the

School of Engineering Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education (bachelor's and/or master's degree), and any advanced education and specializations that ...

. In 2023, he joined the university's board of trustees.

Personal life

Williams and his family are longtime residents of the greater Washington, D.C. area.

Education

- 1978 (B.S. Mathematics) *Naval Nuclear Propulsion and Submarine Officer Training - 1979 *

Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical univ ...

- 1984 (M.S. Engineering) *Joint Maritime Tactics Course - 1999 * National Defense University CAPSTONE Military Leadership Program - 2002 *

Naval Postgraduate School The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California. It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 70 fields of study to the U.S. Armed Forces, DOD ci ...

Executive Business Course - 2003 *

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Harvard Kennedy School The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

Senior Executive Program in National and International Security - 2005

Awards and decorations

Military Awards

Navy Distinguished Service Medal (two awards); Defense Superior Service Medal; * Legion of Merit ribbon

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

(five awards) *

Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon

Defense Meritorious Service Medal * Meritorious Service Medal ribbon

Meritorious Service Medal *

Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal ribbon

Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards) *

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards)

Other awards

The Catholic University of America 2012 Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award The Black Engineer of the Year Award for Professional Achievement as well as induction into the STEM Hall of Fame in 2011 The

National Society of Black Engineers The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a society that was founded in 1975 at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. It is one of the largest student-run organizations in the United States, with core activities centered o ...

Award for Lifetime Achievement in Government The Thurgood Marshall Award for Service and Leadership * Defense Mapping Agency Outstanding Personnel of the Year

Civil awards

In 2019, the Engineering department at his alma mater, CUA, dedicated a lab in his honor. US Navy O9 insignia

References

External links

RADM Williams Official U.S. Navy Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Melvin 1955 births Living people Military personnel from San Diego Military personnel from Washington, D.C. United States Naval Academy alumni African-American United States Navy personnel Catholic University of America alumni United States submarine commanders Naval Postgraduate School alumni Harvard Kennedy School alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Navy admirals Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Obama administration personnel