Fernandez Ponds

Fernandez L. Ponds
Nickname(s) "Frank"
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch  United States Navy
Years of service 1983–2015
Rank Rear admiral (lower half)[1]
Commands held
Awards
  • Defense Superior Service Medal
  • Legion of Merit (4x)
  • Meritorious Service Medal (5x)
  • Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3x)
  • Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
  • National Defense Service Medal
Spouse(s) Carol
Relations Sherese (daughter), Fernandez, Jr. (son)
Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandez-frank-ponds-884bb01b

Fernandez Lewis "Frank" Ponds is a former United States Navy officer from the U.S. state of Alabama.[2][3] He is the former commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) and commanded the destroyer USS Fife (DD-991) in the early 2000s. He is also a former executive officer of the destroyer USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964).

Early life and education

Ponds is originally from Autaugaville, Alabama and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1982 with a bachelor's degree.[4]

Career

Ponds in February 2003, at the decommissioning of USS Fife.

2000s

Ponds is a former executive officer of USS Paul F. Foster.[5]

2003

Ponds was the last commanding officer of the Spruance-class destroyer USS Fife, which he commanded from 2001 to when the ship was decommissioned in February 2003.

2008

In 2008, while the commanding officer of USS Kearsarge he held an appointment as Commodore in charge of Operation Continuing Promise—relief efforts in hurricane ravaged Haiti.[6]

2010s

2015

In April 2015 his appointment as the fifteenth commandant of Joint Task Force Guantanamo was announced.[2][3]

Ponds retired from the U.S. Navy in late 2015.[7]

Awards and decorations

Ponds has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (four), Meritorious Service Medal (five), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Personal life

Ponds is married and has two children.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Flag Officer Assignments".
  2. 1 2 "Release No: NR-120-15, Flag Officer Assignments". United States Department of Defense. 2015-04-10. Archived from the original on 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2015-04-22. Rear Adm. (lower half) Fernandez L. Ponds will be assigned as commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, U.S. Southern Command, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Ponds is currently serving as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group THREE, San Diego, California.
  3. 1 2 Carol Rosenberg (2015-04-10). "Guantánamo judge orders MRI of USS Cole defendant's brain, abates trial". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2015-04-22. In other Guantánamo news, the Pentagon announced the appointment of the next prison camps commander — Rear Adm. Fernandez "Frank" Ponds.
  4. ↑ Petty, Dan. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". www.navy.mil.
  5. ↑ Bostonmaggie (6 July 2011). "Congratulations RDML (sel) Ponds!!". BlogSpot.
  6. ↑ Fernandez Ponds (2008-12-01). "Continuing Promise '08". Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  7. ↑ "151119 Rear Admiral Fernandez L. Ponds Retirement". Flickr. 2015.
  8. ↑ "Admiral from Autaugaville leads voyage of 'USS America'". Montgomery Advertiser. 2014.
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