U.S. Naval War College (NWC) Newport, Rhode Island, will hold a change of command ceremony in Spruance Auditorium at the college, July 25 at 9 a.m.
NWC will welcome aboard Rear Adm. Jeffrey A. Harley as the college’s 56th president and bid farewell to Rear Adm. P. Gardner Howe III.
Guest speaker will be Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson.
Harley, a career surface warfare officer, reports from his most recent assignment as assistant deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy in Washington, D.C.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Harley is also a graduate of NWC and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, holding Master of Arts degrees from both institutions.
Harley’s operational assignments include tours aboard USS Samuel Eliot Morison (FFG-13), USS David R. Ray (DD 971), USS Cowpens (CG 63) and USS Benfold (DDG 65). He was also commanding officer of USS Milius (DDG 69) and commander, Destroyer Squadron 9.
He has completed seven deployments to the Western Pacific/Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf, and has participated in combat operations supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Howe departs after taking the NWC helm two years ago on July 8, 2014. He has been nominated for appointment to rank of vice admiral and for assignment as associate director for military affairs, Central Intelligence Agency, McLean, Virginia.
During his tenure as president, Howe continued to refine the NWC’s educational and research programs. His accomplishments include initiating the implementation process for the educational components of the CNO’s “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority” and the fleetwide Navy Leader Development Strategy.
As president, Howe strove to instill all Sailors with the mindset of recognizing a military career as a profession requiring ethical leadership in addition to technical competence.
Howe was the first Navy SEAL to lead NWC.
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Media interested in covering the event should contact the NWC Public Affairs Office at 401-841-2220 or email
pao@usnwc.eduno later than 3 p.m. Friday, July 22.
Media will be met at the Naval Station Newport Pass and ID office parking lot on Training Station Road. Media will be transported to the event with a departure time of 8:20 a.m.