Thomas Forrest Hall (born December 27, 1939) is a retired rear admiral of 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 ...

who served as the fourth

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs In the United States military, the ''Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs'' (ASD (M&RA)), formerly Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (ASD (RA)) serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secre ...

from October 9, 2002 to 2009. A Presidential appointee confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, he served as the principal staff assistant to the

United States Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...

on all matters involving the 1.2 million members of the Reserve Components of the United States Armed Forces. He was responsible for overall supervision of Reserve Component affairs of the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

Early life and education

Hall was born in

Barnsdall, Oklahoma {{Infobox settlement , official_name = Barnsdall, Oklahoma , settlement_type = City , nickname = Bigheart , motto = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_se ...

on December 27, 1939. He attended

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

for one year before entering the

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

in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1963, he graduated from the academy with a bachelor's degree in Engineering and was named as one of the top 25 leaders in his class, having commanded both the top Battalion and Company. He was also awarded the Brigade Intramural Sports Trophy. In 1971, he received a master's degree in Public Personnel Management from

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

. He graduated with highest distinction from the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

; with distinction, from the National War College; and from the National Security Course at

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 high ...

. He was selected as a Fellow and served on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group.

Naval career

Hall served almost 34 years of continuous

active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the equivalent term is active service. India The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be o ...

in the

. He is a distinguished and decorated Naval Aviator, who served a combat tour in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. He has performed in numerous high level staff, command, and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

positions during his career. He commanded Patrol Squadron Eight,

Naval Air Station Bermuda Naval Air Station Bermuda (Kindley Field) (usually described in Bermuda as United States Naval Air Station Bermuda, and not to be confused with the former Royal Naval Air Station Bermuda or the United States Naval Air Station Bermuda Annex, whi ...

, and dual-hatted as Commander of Fleet Air Keflavik and the

Iceland Defense Force The Iceland Defense Force ( is, Varnarlið Íslands; IDF) was a military command of the United States Armed Forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to p ...

. His final military assignment was as the Commander/Director/Chief of Naval Reserve. Hall's military awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit,

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

, and various other personal and unit decorations. He was awarded the

Order of the Falcon The Order of the Falcon ( is, Hin íslenska fálkaorða) is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. N ...

, with Commander's Cross, by the President of Iceland in recognition of his accomplishments and service as Commander Iceland Defense Force. In 2000, he was given the International Partnership Award for his service to the United States and Iceland. He has been inducted into the

Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. In 2003, he was given the National Service Award for Leadership by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation. In 2004, he was given the National Citizenship Award by the Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America. In 2005, he was given the Admiral Jackson Award by the

Reserve Officers Association The ROA (d/b/a Reserve Organization of America) is a professional association of commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, former officers, enlisted and spouses of the uniformed services of the United States, primarily with the Reserve an ...

Nonprofit Service

Hall served on the

Boards of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organi ...

of numerous

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

s that support the needs of US veterans and citizens in general. Prior to returning to government service, Secretary Hall served as the Executive Director of the Naval Reserve Association for six years. The Naval Reserve Association is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit veterans' organization that represents over 23,000 Navy Reserve officers, members, and their families.

References

External links

Department of Defense biography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Thomas F. 1939 births Living people People from Osage County, Oklahoma United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War United States Naval Aviators Recipients of the Air Medal George Washington University alumni Naval War College alumni Harvard University 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 United States Assistant Secretaries of Defense