U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Michael Gilday, current director of operations at the U.S. Cyber Command, has been nominated to serve as commander of the military branch’s Fleet Cyber Command that operates as the Tenth Fleet.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday that President Barack Obama hass also endorsed Gilday for promotion to the rank of vice admiral.
If confirmed by Senate, Gilday would lead the command that supports the Navy’s networks, cryptologic and signals intelligence, information operations, space, electronic warfare and cyber technologies at sea and onshore.
He previously worked for the Bureau of Naval Personnel, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations’ strategic plans and policy directorate and the Office of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
Gilday also served as naval aide to the U.S. president, executive assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, director of operations at NATO’s Joint Force Command in Lisbon, Portugal, and chief of staff for Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO.
He also previously commanded the USS Higgins, USS Benfold, Destroyer Squadron 7 and Carrier Strike Group 8 as well as served aboard the USS Gettysburg during Operation Desert Fox, USS Princeton during Desert Shield/Storm and USS Chandler during the Iran-Iraq War.