Charles Anthony "Chas" Richard (born 1959) is a retired

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 ...

admiral who served as the 11th commander of

United States Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for Strategic_nuclear_weapon, ...

. He previously served as Commander Submarine Forces, Submarine Force Atlantic and Allied Submarine Command.

Early life and education

Richard is a native of

Decatur, Alabama Decatur (dɪˈkeɪtə(r)) is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County) in the U.S. state of Alabama. Nicknamed "The River City", it is located in northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler La ...

, and is a 1982 graduate with honors from the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...

. He has earned master's degrees with honors from the Catholic University of America and 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 ...

Naval career

Richard's operational assignments include command of as well as Submarine NR-1, then the United States Navy's only nuclear-powered, deep-submergence submarine. He also served aboard , and . Richard's staff assignments include service as the executive assistant and naval aide to the

Under Secretary of the Navy Under may refer to: * "Under" (Alex Hepburn song), 2013 * "Under" (Pleasure P song), 2009 *Bülent Ünder (born 1949), Turkish footballer *Cengiz Ünder (born 1997), Turkish footballer *Marie Under (1883–1980), Estonian poet * Under (restaurant) ...

; chief of staff, Submarine Force Atlantic; and command of

Submarine Squadron 17 Submarine Squadron 17 (also known as SUBRON 17) is a squadron of submarines of the United States Navy based in Bangor, Washington under the command of Captain Charles McLenithan. The submarines that make up SUBRON 17 include: * * * * * *USS ...

Bangor, Washington Bangor Base is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, within U.S. Naval Base Kitsap on the Kitsap Peninsula. Its population was 6,054 at the 2010 census. Geography Bangor is located north of the center of Kitsap County ...

. Other staff assignments include director of resources, Under Secretary of Defense (Policy); squadron engineer of

Submarine Squadron 8 A submarine squadron (SUBRON) is a naval formation or unit in such states such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Russia/Soviet Union. In France the equivalent unit is the ' (ESNA), part of the French submarine forces (and before the Second ...

and duty on the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Submarine Warfare) staff. He has also served as a member of Chief of Naval Operations' Strategic Studies Group XXVIII, studying the integration of unmanned systems into naval force structure. Flag officer assignments include command of

Submarine Group 10 Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic (COMSUBLANT) is the Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet type commander under the United States Fleet Forces Command. The principal responsibility of the Admiral commanding is to operate, maintain, train, and eq ...

Kings Bay, Georgia Kings Bay Base is a census-designated place (CDP) in Camden County, Georgia, United States; it is home to the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. The population was 1,777 at the 2010 census. Geography Kings Bay Base is located in southeastern Camden ...

; director of Undersea Warfare (OPNAV N97), Pentagon, and deputy commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike at

. As commander, Submarine Forces, Richard was the undersea domain lead, and was responsible for the submarine force's strategic vision. As commander, Submarine Force Atlantic, he commanded all Atlantic-based United States submarines, their crews and supporting shore activities. These responsibilities also included duties as Commander, Task Force (CTF) 144, CTF 84; commander, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Forces Western Atlantic; and CTF 46. As commander, Allied Submarine Command, he provided advice to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Strategic Commanders on submarine related issues. On October 15, 2019, Richard was nominated for promotion to admiral and reassignment as the commanding officer of United States Strategic Command. He appeared for a hearing before the

United States Senate Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services (sometimes abbreviated SASC for ''Senate Armed Services Committee'') is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Def ...

on October 24 and was confirmed by voice vote of the full Senate on October 31. He took over from General Hyten on November 18, 2019. In October 2021, ''Politico'' reported that Richard was among the candidates shortlisted to succeed Hyten as

vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS) is, by U.S. law, the second highest-ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, - Vice Chairman ranking just below the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The vice chairman ...

. He retired from active duty on December 9, 2022.

Awards and decorations

References

External links

*
Biography
at U.S. Strategic Command
U.S. Navy Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richard, Charles A. 1959 births Living people University of Alabama alumni Military personnel from Alabama Catholic University of America alumni United States submarine commanders Naval War College 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 Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal