James F. Caldwell Jr.

Admiral James F. Caldwell Jr.
Born	(1959-03-24) March 24, 1959
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	U.S. Navy
Years of service	1981—present
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	Director, Naval Reactors Naval Inspector General
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2)

James Franklin ("Frank") Caldwell Jr. (born March 24, 1959) is an admiral in the United States Navy who currently serves as director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, a job once held by the program's creator, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover.^[1][2] He previously served as Naval Inspector General.^[3]

Career

Caldwell received his commission graduating with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering; he is a fifth-generation Academy graduate.^[4] He holds a Master of Science in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School.^[5]

Caldwell’s early sea tours include serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. His operational assignments include duty as a division officer on USS Boston (SSN 703), engineering officer on USS Alabama (SSBN 731) (GOLD), and executive officer on USS Buffalo (SSN 715).

Caldwell commanded USS Jacksonville (SSN 699) home ported in Norfolk, Virginia; Submarine Development Squadron 12 in New London, Connecticut; and Submarine Group 9 in Bangor, Washington. In his most recent afloat command, he commanded COMSUBPAC.

Ashore, Caldwell served on the Pacific Fleet Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board, and later as Undersea Warfare Requirements officer on the staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He also served as senior member of the Naval Submarine Force’s Tactical Readiness Evaluation Team, on the Joint Staff as deputy director for Politico-Military Affairs for Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia and Africa, and deputy commander for U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike in Omaha, Nebraska.^[6][7]

On August 5, 2015, VADM Caldwell was confirmed by the US Senate to become admiral. Caldwell assumed his duties as the seventh director of Naval Reactors on August 14, 2015, normally an eight-year term.^[8]

Awards and decorations

Submarine Warfare insignia (Officer)

Silver SSBN Deterrent Patrol insignia (5 awards)

Command at Sea insignia

Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

	Navy Distinguished Service Medal with one gold award star
	Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit with two award stars
	Meritorious Service Medal with one gold award star
	Navy Commendation Medal with three gold award stars
	Navy Achievement Medal with two gold award stars
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award
	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with three bronze service stars
	Navy "E" Ribbon with three Battle E awards
	Navy Expeditionary Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with three bronze service stars
	Navy Arctic Service Ribbon
	Special Operations Service Ribbon
	Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with Sharpshooter Device

• Caldwell received the Naval Submarine League's Charles A. Lockwood Award.

Personal life

His father, James Franklin Caldwell, Sr. (1935–1998), was himself a captain in the U.S. Navy, a fourth-generation Naval Academy graduate, and also a former nuclear-submarine commander; both of Caldwell Jr.'s brothers are also Naval Academy graduates.^[9]

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References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Navy document "United States Navy Biography, Vice Admiral James F. Caldwell Jr., Naval Inspector General". Retrieved on 2014-11-22.

External links

• Navy Biography
• U.S Naval Inspector General official webpage
• James F. Caldwell Jr. on Twitter