Michael Mullen | |
---|---|
Born | Los Angeles County, California, U.S. | October 4, 1946
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1968–2011 |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief of Naval Operations United States Naval Forces Europe Allied Joint Force Command Naples Vice Chief of Naval Operations United States Second Fleet NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two George Washington Carrier Battle Group USS Yorktown (CG-48) USS Goldsborough (DDG-20) USS Noxubee (AOG-56) |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War Gulf War |
Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (6) |
Michael Glenn Mullen (born October 4, 1946) is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2007 to September 2011.
Mullen was the 32nd vice chief of Naval Operations from August 2003 to August 2004. He then was the commander of both the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and the Allied Joint Force Command Naples from October 2004 to May 2005. From July 2005 to September 2007, Mullen served as the Navy's 28th chief of Naval Operations.
As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mullen was the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Armed Forces and diversified the top ranks of the Pentagon.[1] He retired from the Navy after over 42 years of service. Since 2012, Mullen has been a visiting professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
Mullen was born on October 4, 1946, in Los Angeles, the eldest of five children of Mary Jane (Glenn), who worked as an assistant to comedian Jimmy Durante, and Hollywood press agent John Edward "Jack" Mullen.[2][3][4] He attended St. Charles Borromeo Church School in North Hollywood,[5] and graduated from Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks in 1964. Mullen then attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis and was classmates with former Commandant of the Marine Corps Michael Hagee, former Chief of Naval Operations Jay L. Johnson, former Secretary of the Navy and Senator from Virginia Jim Webb, National Security Council staff member during the Iran–Contra affair Oliver North, former Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair, and NASA administrator Charles Bolden. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1968.[6]
Along with his congeniality, [he] displayed fine leadership qualities. With his well rounded personality, his enthusiasm, and his desire to do his best, Navy-Air is indeed getting an outstanding officer. -- 1968 Lucky Bag, USNA college yearbook[7]
President Obama nominated General Martin Dempsey as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Memorial Day 2011. Dempsey had only been sworn in as army chief of staff the previous month. On September 30, 2011, Mullen officially retired from the military when his term as chairman ended.
In December 2012, one year into his retirement, Mullen was in the news again, for having been the target of computer hacking, a situation that led to subsequent FBI investigations.[24] In 2013, Mullen joined the board of General Motors.[25]
On July 11, 2013, Mullen joined the Board of Directors of Sprint Nextel Corp directly after a buyout from SoftBank, one of Japan's largest cellular companies.[26] In 2016, Mullen joined the Advisory Board of Afiniti, an American unicorn big data and artificial intelligence business.[27]
Mullen was vetted by Michael Bloomberg to be his running mate in the 2016 presidential election, but Bloomberg decided against running.[28]
In an interview with ABC News on December 31, 2017, Mullen stated his belief that the United States was close to a nuclear war with North Korea.[29]
Ensign | Lieutenant (junior grade) | Lieutenant | Lieutenant commander | Commander | Captain |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
O-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 |
June 5, 1968 | June 5, 1969 | July 1, 1971 | October 1, 1977 | June 1, 1983 | September 1, 1989 |
Rear admiral (lower half) | Rear admiral | Vice admiral | Admiral |
---|---|---|---|
O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 |
April 1, 1996 | March 5, 1998 | September 21, 2000 | August 28, 2003 |
Ribbon | Description | Notes |
Defense Distinguished Service Medal | with three bronze oak leaf clusters | |
Navy Distinguished Service Medal | with one gold award star | |
Defense Superior Service Medal | ||
Legion of Merit | with one silver award star | |
Meritorious Service Medal | ||
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal | ||
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal | ||
Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon | ||
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon | ||
Navy "E" Ribbon | with Wreathed Battle E device | |
Navy Expeditionary Medal | ||
National Defense Service Medal | with two bronze service stars | |
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | ||
Vietnam Service Medal | with one bronze star | |
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | ||
Humanitarian Service Medal | with one bronze star | |
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon | with three bronze stars | |
Navy Overseas Service Ribbon | with one bronze star |
Ribbon | Issuing nation/organisation | Description | Date awarded | Notes |
Republic of Chile | National Order of Merit (Commander)[33] | |||
Republic of Italy | Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[32] | April 14, 2007 | ||
French Republic | National Order of the Legion of Honour[32] | May 12, 2007 | ||
Commonwealth of Australia | Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (Military Division)[34] | November 5, 2010 | For distinguished service to the military relationship between Australia and the US as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US | |
Federal Republic of Germany | Federal Cross of Merit[35] | June 9, 2011 | For concern for German soldiers, his role in strengthening the close German-American friendship, and his services to the Federal Republic of Germany | |
Republic of Vietnam | Vietnam Gallantry Cross (device(s) unknown) | |||
Republic of Vietnam | Vietnam Civil Actions Medal 1st Class | |||
Canada | Meritorious Service Cross[36] | 2013 | ||
Japan | Order of the Rising Sun, 1st class | |||
Republic of Vietnam | Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Ribbon[32] | |||
Republic of Vietnam | Civil Actions Unit Citation Ribbon[32] | |||
NATO | NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia[32] | |||
Republic of Vietnam | Vietnam Campaign Medal |
Badge | Description |
Navy Surface Warfare Badge (Officer) | |
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge |
In 1987, Mullen was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.[9] In 2009 the U.S. veterans group Soldier On awarded Admiral Mullen the first Soldier On Award, created for them by sculptor Andrew DeVries.[37] The Soldier On Award recognizes individuals whose leadership and actions have advanced the goal of ending veteran homelessness.[38]
In 2010, Mullen was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia.[39]
An auditorium was dedicated in his name March 1, 2012, before a graduation ceremony at the Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, Rhode Island.[40]
Mullen is married to Deborah and together they have two sons, John “JMuls” Mullen and Michael Edward Mullen.[32]