Introduction
[1]When I first met Lieutenant Commander James Stavridis in 1989, I had no idea that one day he would be the gold standard for what the U.S. Naval Institute is all about. Since he was a midshipman at the Naval Academy, he has been a faithful and thoughtful member of this professional society, and the depth and breadth of what he has written for the open forum—while remarkably still managing to rise steadily in the ranks to a four-star admiral—is unprecedented. I remember when he visited our headquarters in Beach Hall soon after he earned his first star and I greeted him as "admiral." Instantly, his reply was, "C'mon, Fred. In this family, I'll always be Jim." Family indeed. As we watch for Admiral Jim's next career move, his fellow family members are all proud to say we knew him when. We hope you enjoy this sentimental journey in words that spans his entire distinguished Navy career. -Fred Schultz, Managing Editor, Proceedings
Moderator: ADM James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.), Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (2009-2013).
VADM Charles D. Michel, USCG, Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
ADM John Richardson, USN, Chief of Naval Operations
Gen Robert B. Neller, USMC, Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps
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Admiral Stavridis delivers a stirring address, sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute, to a packed house at the Coast Guard Academy and takes questions from Cadets. |
Biography
Admiral James Stavridis, U.S. Navy (Ret.) is Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and Chairman of the U.S. Naval Insitute Board of Directors. He has served as Commander of European Command and as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.
Stavridis is a 1976 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a native of South Florida.
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Dressed as a Marine like his dad for Halloween, 1957 |
A Surface Warfare Officer, he commanded the Destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) from 1993-1995, completing UN/NATO deployments to Haiti and Bosnia, and a combat cruise to the Arabian Gulf. Barry won the Battenberg Cup as the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet under his command.
In 1998, he commanded Destroyer Squadron 21 and deployed to the Arabian Gulf, winning the Navy League's John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership.
From 2002-2004, he commanded Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, conducting combat operations in the Arabian Gulf in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
From 2006-2009, he commanded U.S. Southern Command in Miami, focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ashore, he has served as a strategic and long-range planner on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has also served as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
Stavridis earned a PhD and MALD from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in International Relations in 1984, where he won the Gullion Prize as an outstanding student. He is also a distinguished graduate of both the National and Naval War Colleges.
He holds various decorations and awards, including two awards of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and five awards of the Legion of Merit. He is author or co-author of several books on naval ship handling and leadership, including Command at Sea [2], Destroyer Captain [3], Partnership for the Americas [4] about Latin America, and his latest The Accidental Admiral [1].
He is happily married to Laura, and they have two daughters - one working at Google and the other an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.
As a session in the Maritime Security Dialogue Series, cosponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute
and CSIS, Admiral Stavridis facilitated a discussion to launch the "Cooperative Strategy for the
21st Century Seapower" with Navy CNO Jonathan Greenert, Marine Commandant Joseph Dunford,
and Coast Guard Commandant Paul Zukunft on 13 March 2015 in Washington, D.C.
Professional Activities
- Served as Supreme Allied Commander, NATO and commander of U.S. European Commander (2009-2013)
- Chair of the Board, U.S. Naval Institute (2013-present)
- Led U.S. Southern Command in Miami (2006-2009)
- Served as Senior Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Navy
- First commander of Navy’s “Deep Blue” strategic and tactical think tank after 9/11 Pentagon attacks (2001-2002)
Awards
- Intrepid Freedom Award
- Athenagoras Human Rights Award
- Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow
- Alfred Thayer Mahan Award
- John Paul Jones Award
- Arleigh Burke Award
- Sarnoff Award (AFCEA International)
- 38 U.S. and international military medals
- Gullion Prize (Top in class), The Fletcher School, Tufts University
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Naval Institute Leadership Essay Contest Winner - 1982 & 1983 Naval Institute General Prize Essay Contest Winner - 1984 Naval Institute Proceedings Author of the Year - 1994
Selected Writings by Admiral James G. Stavridis, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Periodicals
Proceedings
- What Are Young Leaders Reading? [5], February 2016, Admiral (Retired)
- Special – A Mechanism for Arctic-Crisis Response [6], December 2015, Admiral (Retired)
- Russia: Why Can’t We Just Get Along? [7], October 2014, Admiral (Retired)
- Digitizing Proceedings [8], May 2014, Admiral (Retired)
- Time for a U.S. Cyber Force [9], January 2014, Admiral (Retired)
- 'A Difference Between Knowledge and Wisdom' [10], August 2013, Admiral (Retired)
- Comment and Discussion [11], June 2011, Admiral
- Comment and Discussion [12], January 2011, Admiral
- Teaching the Ropes [13], May 2010, Admiral
- Sailing Across the Bridge [14], October 2009, Admiral
- Read, Think, Write, and Publish [15], August 2008, Admiral
- Journal of a First Command [16], April 2008, Admiral
- Sailing in Southern Waters: A New Wind [17], May 2007, Admiral
- Deconstructing War [18], December 2005, Vice Admiral
- From Sword to Shield: Naval Forces in the Global War on Terror [19], August 2004, Rear Admiral
- Adapting Aviation Tactical Training for the Surface Warfare Community [20], January 2003, Rear Admiral
- Comment and Discussion [21], February 2003, Rear Admiral
- Comment and Discussion [22], June 2002, Rear Admiral
- Making Room for Risk: Managing Disruptive Techniques [23], September 2001, Rear Admiral
- Requiem for a Sailor's Writer [24], May 2000, Captain
CAPT Stavridis, Exec to SECNAV, 1999 - They Got Game [25], June 1999, Captain
- A Perfect Form One [26], October 1995, Commander
- Handling the Arleigh Burkes [27], October 1994, Commander
- To Begin Again [28], July 1993, Commander
- Beyond Joint: The Interagency Action [29], May 1993, Commander
- A Measure of Success [30], February 1992, Commander
- Aegis and the Third World [31], September 1990, Lieutenant Commander
- New Era Tactics [32], July 1990, Lieutenant Commander
- Comment and Discussion [33], April 1989, Lieutenant Commander
- Comment and Discussion [34], February 1988, Lieutenant Commander
- Creating ASW Killing Zones [35], October 1987, Lieutenant Commander
- An Alliance for the Pacific [36], July 1987, Lieutenant Commander
- Handling a Ticonderoga [37], January 1987, Lieutenant Commander
- The Global Maritime Coalition [38], April 1985, Lieutenant Commander
- Resource Wars [39], January 1985, Lieutenant Commander
- Naval Strategy and National Ocean Policy [40], July 1984, Lieutenant Commander
- Comment and Discussion [41], March 1984, Lieutenant Commander
- War, Peace, and Leadership [42], August 1983, Lieutenant
- Comment and Discussion [43], October 1982, Lieutenant
- Closing the Gaps in Naval Leadership [44], July 1982, Lieutenant
- A New SWO Billet in the Carrier [45], January 1982, Lieutenant
- On Leading Snipes [46], January 1981, Lieutenant
- Handling a Spruance Class Destroyer [47], October 1979, Lieutenant (junior grade)
- Comment and Discussion [48], April 1979, Lieutenant (junior grade)
- Comment and Discussion [49], September 1977, Ensign
Other Periodicals
Americas Quarterly
- "The Americas: We’re All in This Together." [50] Americas Quarterly Fall 2007. (Admiral)
The Atlantic
- "37 Years in the Navy." [51] July 2013 (Admiral, Retired)
Atlantic Council
- "NATO: A Bridge Across Time." [52] (PDF) Freedom's Challenge – Marking the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall December 2009: 134-135. (Admiral)
Foreign Policy
- "Flash Point in the Eastern Mediterranean." [53] July 2013 (Admiral, Retired) [Login Required]
Joint Force Quarterly
- "An Intelligent Theater." [54] (PDF) Joint Force Quarterly 1st Quarter 2010: 104-108. (Admiral)
- "Whatever Happened to the 'War on Drugs?'" [55] (PDF) Joint Force Quarterly 4th Quarter 2008: 109-113. (Admiral)
- "Strategic Communication and National Security." [56] (PDF) Joint Force Quarterly 3rd Quarter 2007: 4-7. (Admiral)
- "The Second Revolution." [57] (PDF) Joint Force Quarterly Spring 1997: 8-13. (Captain)
Military Review
- "Strengthening the Bridge: Building Partnership Capacity." [58] (PDF) Military Review January-February 2010: 2-6. (Admiral)
- "Partnership for the Americas: The Human Rights Initiative." [59] (PDF) Military Review May-June 2007: 2-8. (Admiral)
Naval Law Review
- "United Nations of the Sea Treaty: Time for a Review?" Naval Law Review Spring 1992: 78-88. (Commander)
LCDR Stavridis, CNO Special Assistant, with CNO Trost, 1989
Naval War College Review
- "Taming the Outlaw Sea." [60] (PDF) Naval War College Review Autumn 2010: 72-83. (Admiral)
- "Perspectivas sobre estrategia marítima," Introducción: Una Estrategia Marítima en las Américas, Naval War College Press Winter 2009: vii-xi. (Admiral)
- "The Heart of an Officer." [61] (PDF) Naval War College Review Spring 2009: 26-41. (Admiral)
- "Sailing to a New Port." [62] (PDF) Naval War College Review Summer 2007: 7-13. (Admiral)
- "The Tale of the Red Knight." [63] (PDF) Naval War College Review Autumn 2001: 141-147. (Rear Admiral)
- "Marine Technology Transfer and the Law of the Sea." [64] (PDF) Naval War College Review July-August 1983: 38-50. (Lieutenant Commander)
RUSI Journal
- "NATO Taking a Fix - Charting a Course" RUSI Journal December 2009: 44-47. (Admiral)
Shipmate
- "Time." [65] (PDF) Shipmate June 2010: 38. (Admiral)
- "U.S. Fourth Fleet: One Year Update." [66] (PDF) Shipmate July-August 2009: 38. (Admiral)
- "Semi-submersibles: An Emerging Threat in the Americas." [67] (PDF) Shipmate May 2008: 36. (Admiral)
- "Humanitarian Operations: Evolving Missions and New Approaches." [68] (PDF) Shipmate January-February 2008: 25-27. (Admiral)
Books
- The Accidental Admiral: A Sailor Takes Command of NATO [1], Naval Institute Press, 2014.
- Partnership for the Americas: Western Hemisphere Strategy and U.S. Southern Command [4], National Defense University Press, 2010.
- Command at Sea [2], Sixth Edition, Naval Institute Press, Co-authored with Rear Admiral Robert Girrier, 2010.
- Destroyer Captain [3], Naval Institute Press, hardcover [3] in 2007, paperback [69] in 2014.
- Watch Officer's Guide [70], Fifteenth Edition, Naval Institute Press, Co-authored with Captain Robert Girrier, 2006.
- Division Officer's Guide [71], Eleventh Edition, Naval Institute Press, Co-authored with Commander Robert Girrier, 2005.
TED Talk
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ADM Stavridis, Naval Institute Honors Night Speech and 2010 Naval Institute Press Author of the Year |
- "James Stavridis: A Navy Admiral's thoughts on global security." [72] June 2012 (Admiral)
Speeches
- WEST 2016: Morning Keynote Admiral James G. Stavridis, U.S. Navy (Ret.): How Do We Make the Strategy Work? [73]
- U.S. Naval Institute Honors Night: Commemorating the Naval Institute's 137th Anniversary [74], October 2010, Admiral
Book Reviews—Proceedings
- "One Minute to Midnight," [75] March 2009, Admiral
- "The Far Reaches," [76] September 2007, Admiral
- "Six Frigates," [77] December 2006, Admiral
- "Sea of Thunder," [78] November 2006, Admiral
- "The 33 Strategies of War," [79] July 2006, Vice Admiral
- "Command at Sea," [80] June 2005, Vice Admiral
- "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics," [81] July 2002, Rear Admiral
- "A Soldier's Duty," [82] August 2001, Rear Admiral
- "Beyond the Law of the Sea: New Directions for U.S. Ocean Policy," [83] March 1999, Captain
- "Retreat from Doomsday," [84] July 1989, Lieutenant Commander
- "Supercarrier," [85] February 1987, Lieutenant Commander
- "Navy and Empire," [86] September 1984, Lieutenant Commander
- "The Geography of Warfare," [87] November 1983, Lieutenant Commander
Book Reviews—Naval History
- "Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, [88]" June 2016, Admiral
- "Sea of Gray: The Around-the-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah," [89] June 2006, Vice Admiral
- "A Dishonorable Few," [90] December 2005, Vice Admiral
- "The Cruise of the Sea Eagle: The Amazing True Story of Imperial Germany's Gentleman Pirate," [91] October 2005, Vice Admiral
- "Patrick O'Brian: A Life Revealed," [92] October 2000, Captain
- "Damn the Torpedoes," [93] October 1999, Captain