Vice Admiral Doug Crowder

Vice Admiral Doug Crowder retired from the U.S. Navy on January 1, 2010. His last assignment was as deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, and strategy (N3/N5), the senior adviser to the chief of naval operations (CNO) on joint operations and strategies, strategic planning, international politico-military matters, and security assistance. Admiral Crowder has commanded at sea at every level, including command of the USS Kidd (DDG-993), Destroyer Squadron 24, and the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. Additionally, he served as commander of Combined Support Group Indonesia during the 2004–2005 tsunami relief operations. From 2006 to 2008, Admiral Crowder served as commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, commanding all U.S. Navy forces throughout Asia and the Western Pacific. The 7th Fleet’s area of responsibility encompasses more than 48 million square miles and includes 35 maritime countries and the world’s five largest foreign armed forces. At any given time, there are 60 to 70 ships, 200 to 300 aircraft, and 40,000 sailors and marines assigned to the fleet. Ashore, Admiral Crowder served 10 different assignments in the Pentagon, including duty on the Joint Staff, the secretary of the navy’s staff, and seven tours on the CNO’s staff, most in the politico-military and strategic planning arena. He also served as the executive assistant to the commander-in-chief of U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Admiral Crowder is a 1974 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, having received a B.S. degree with distinction. In 1980, he was selected an Olmsted scholar and studied European economic and political affairs at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Admiral Crowder is currently the president of Crowder Strategies & Solutions LLC, an independent consultancy focused on leadership, management, and international security affairs.