Vice Admiral William Douglas Crowder (born 1952)
retired from the
United States Navy in November 2009 after serving as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5). Crowder was the 45th commander of the
United States 7th Fleet.
Career
The son of a navy
master chief and
quartermaster, Crowder received a congressional appointment to the
United States Naval Academy, where he graduated in June 1974.
At sea, Crowder has served in numerous ships in both Pacific and Atlantic Fleets including: as CIC officer in , aft propulsion group officer in , combat systems officer in , and
executive officer
An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...
in .
He commanded from 1992–1994, operating in both the Pacific and Atlantic, winning the
Battle Efficiency "E" Award. In 1998-1999 he commanded
Destroyer Squadron 24
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in 1 ...
, deploying to the
Mediterranean as part of the
USS John F. Kennedy Battle Group. He also served as the aide and flag lieutenant to
Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic.
Ashore, Crowder has served a number of tours in
the Pentagon including: as action officer on the staff of the
Chief of Naval Operations
The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...
, Strategy and Plans Division (OP-60);
Surface Warfare Analyst in the Office of Program Appraisal (
Office of Secretary of the Navy); Deputy Executive Assistant to the
Vice Chief of Naval Operations
The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) is the second highest-ranking commissioned United States Navy officer in the United States Department of the Navy, Department of the Navy and functions as the principal deputy of the Chief of Naval Opera ...
; Chief of the Planning and Integration Branch,
Joint Staff (J-8); Senior Staff of the
National Defense Panel
The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) was a study by the United States Department of Defense that analyzes strategic objectives and potential military threats. The ''Quadrennial Defense Review Report'' was the main public document describing the Uni ...
; and as Executive Assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He also served as Executive Assistant and Senior Naval Aide to the Commander-in-Chief
U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Crowder commanded the U.S. 7th Fleet from September 2006 to July 2008. Prior to assuming that command, he was
ADCNO for Information, Plans, and Strategy (OPNAV N3/N5B) in August 2005. His previous Flag assignments were as director of Deep Blue, the Navy Operations Group, from August 2002 to May 2004, director of Operations, Plans and Political Military Affairs Division (N31/N52) from September 2001-October 2002 — both on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. Additionally he served as commander of
Carrier Strike Group Nine/''Abraham Lincoln'' Strike Group from July 2004 to August 2005 deploying to the western Pacific and serving as commander of
Combined Support Group Indonesia
Combined may refer to:
* Alpine combined (skiing), the combination of slalom and downhill skiing as a single event
** Super combined (skiing)
* Nordic combined (skiing), the combination of cross country skiing and ski jumping as a single event
...
, as part of
Operation Unified Assistance (Tsunami Relief effort).
Awards and honors
Vice Admiral Crowder was selected as an
Olmsted Scholar and studied European Economic and Political Affairs at the
University of Lausanne, Switzerland from 1980-82. In November 1982, he was awarded the
Jean Monnet Medal for Leadership by the
President of the French Senate in
Paris.
Notes
External links
Official biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowder, William
1952 births
Living people
United States Naval Academy alumni
United States Navy vice admirals
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun