Jonathan w greenert biography for kids
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In 1992, he was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Following his command at sea, Greenert served as Commander, Submarine Squadron 11, and Commander, Submarine Forces Pacific (COMSUBPAC) Representative West Coast from July 1996 to June 1997.
In July 1997, Greenert reported as Chief of Staff for Commander, U.S.
Seventh Fleet, in Yokosuka, Japan. Subsequent commands included service as commander of Submarine Squadron 11 at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, California; chief of staff for the commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, in Yokosuka, Japan, from July 1997 to September 1998; and commander, U.S. Pacific Command, representative to Micronesia/commander, U.S.
Naval Forces, Marianas, from October 1998 through December 1999.
After a stateside stint as director of the Operations Division in the Navy Comptroller Office from January 2000 through August 2002, Greenert served as deputy and chief of staff of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Honolulu, Hawai’i, from August 2002 until July 2004, and as commander of the Seventh Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet, from August 6, 2004 to September 2006.
Back at the Pentagon, Greenert served as deputy chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources, from September 2006 to September 2007 and as commander of U.S.
Fleet Forces Command from September 29, 2007 to July 29, 2009. “His experience in management, operations, and strategic planning will be highly valuable, and I’m pleased to welcome him to the board.”
Greenert and his wife Darleen have three adult children: two sons and a daughter.
Awards and decorations
Greenert's decorations include:
Jonathan Greenert
Naval Academy in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science in ocean engineering and completed nuclear engineering studies for service in the submarine force.[1][3] Over a 40-year career, he commanded nuclear-powered attack submarines, the U.S. Seventh Fleet, and Navy Pacific Fleet operations, culminating in his roles as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 2009 to 2011 and principal military advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the President on naval matters during his tenure as CNO.[1][4] Greenert received numerous decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and Navy Distinguished Service Medal with multiple awards stars, reflecting his leadership in submarine operations, fleet command, and strategic naval policy amid fiscal constraints and global rebalancing efforts.[1]
Early Life and Education
Upbringing and Family Influences
Jonathan W.Greenert was born on May 15, 1953, in Butler, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb known for its industrial heritage centered on steel production.[5][6] His father worked as a steelworker at Armco Steel Corp., reflecting the blue-collar ethos of the community where many families depended on manufacturing jobs.[6] Greenert grew up on Walnut Street in Butler, a setting that instilled values of hard work and resilience amid economic fluctuations in the steel sector.[7]He attended St.
Paul's Catholic School (later renamed Butler Catholic School), where the structured environment likely contributed to his early discipline and preparation for rigorous military training.[7] Family roots in this working-class milieu, as described by relatives, emphasized practical skills and community ties, shaping Greenert's grounded perspective before his departure for the U.S.
Naval Academy.[8]
Naval Academy Training and Early Qualifications
Greenert majored in ocean engineering at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975.[9][5] The academy's curriculum combined rigorous academic instruction in engineering and sciences with intensive military training, physical conditioning, and leadership development through the midshipman regiment structure, preparing graduates for commissioned service in the Navy.[10] Upon graduation on June 6, 1975, he was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S.Navy.[9]Post-commissioning, Greenert pursued specialized nuclear power training essential for submarine operations, completing studies in nuclear engineering at facilities operated by the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.[11][12] This regimen, typically spanning several months at Nuclear Power School in Charleston, South Carolina, followed by prototype reactor training, certified him to operate, manage, and supervise naval nuclear reactor systems aboard submarines.[9][3] These qualifications underscored his early technical proficiency in propulsion systems, positioning him for entry into the nuclear submarine force where such expertise was mandatory for division officer roles.[1]
Naval Career
Submarine Officer Roles and Nuclear Propulsion Expertise
Greenert was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S.Navy upon graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science in ocean engineering.[11] He subsequently completed nuclear power training, qualifying him for service in the nuclear submarine force. and one of six siblings; he maintains close family ties, including with a sister residing in Butler.[6]In his private interests, Greenert is a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, reflecting his Western Pennsylvania roots, and has attended games, including as Chief of Naval Operations during military appreciation events.[6][66] No other prominent hobbies or personal pursuits beyond family and sports affiliations are publicly documented in available sources.
The nation’s top Navy officer is a bubblehead and proud of it.
He served as Executive Officer of USS Michigan's Gold Crew before taking command of USS Honolulu in March 1991. Greenert graduated from Butler High School in 1971, where he was on the swim team and student council, and was a member of the National Honor Society, the archery club, the Latin club and the maitre d’ club, which, a high school friend of Greenert’s explained, was “a club for guys to make a little money” by waiting tables.
Accepted for admission by the University of Pennsylvania, the Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Greenert followed the example of an uncle he had often visited at Annapolis, earning a B.S.
in Ocean Engineering at the Naval Academy in 1975 and completing studies in nuclear power for service as a submarine officer. In this capacity, he managed the reactor's safe operation during extended dives to depths exceeding 2,500 feet, honing expertise in nuclear engineering under demanding conditions.[9]Advancing to executive officer of USS Michigan (SSBN-727) Gold Crew, Greenert oversaw crew training, weapons systems, and nuclear propulsion maintenance on a ballistic missile submarine, emphasizing reliability for strategic deterrence patrols.[11] His nuclear propulsion proficiency, built through these roles, underscored the Navy's emphasis on rigorous qualification standards, including examinations on reactor physics, thermodynamics, and safety protocols, which he mastered to certify submarines for deployment.[13] This experience informed his later contributions to submarine force readiness and technological integration.
Command Positions in Submarines and Surface Forces
Greenert's initial command at sea was aboard the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Honolulu (SSN-718, which he led from March 1991 to July 1993 while homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.[11] During this period, he earned the Vice Admiral Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership in 1992, recognizing his effectiveness in motivating personnel under demanding operational conditions.[11] Following this assignment, Greenert assumed command of Submarine Squadron 11, overseeing multiple submarine operations and maintenance on the U.S.West Coast as the senior submarine squadron commander in that region.[11][10]As Greenert advanced to flag rank, his command responsibilities expanded to encompass integrated forces including significant surface components. From August 13, 2009 to September 22, 2011, Greenert was vice chief of Naval Operations.
Greenert and his wife, Darleen, have three grown children.
-Matt Bewig
Official Biography
New Chief of Naval Operations a Steelers fan and a “Regular Guy” (by Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Greenert Something of a Surprise as Next Chief of Naval Operations (by Robert F.
Dorr, Defense Media Network)
Classmates,
Please join us in congratulating our classmate, Andy Winns (24th CO), on his selection as a 2025 USNA Distinguished Graduate. Andy was chosen for this award due to his lifetime of service to our Nation, our Navy, and our Naval Academy, as well as his volunteer efforts in his community.
The following alumni were selected as 2025 Distinguished Graduate Award recipients:
ADM Jonathan W.
Greenert ’75, USN (Ret.)
VADM Anthony W. Winns ’78, USN (Ret.)
CAPT Sunita L. Williams ‘87, USN (Ret.)
JoAnna L. Sohovich ’93
A detailed announcement with biographies of each of the 2025 awardees will be released publicly soon.
The DGA ceremony is scheduled for March 21, 2025, at the Naval Academy.
He directed efforts to homeport 60 percent of the Navy's fleet assets in the Pacific by 2020, up from roughly 50 percent, which was projected to boost day-to-day forward presence by 15 to 20 percent without requiring additional ships.[40][41] This shift emphasized sea control, power projection, and maritime security to deter aggression and ensure freedom of navigation in contested areas like the South China Sea.[42]Greenert framed the rebalance as multidimensional, involving strengthened alliances with partners such as Japan, Australia, and India, alongside expanded multinational exercises like the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
By 2014, with the fleet at 284 ships—below the 300-ship goal—commentators argued that sequestration-era constraints under Greenert limited sustained presence, rendering the pivot more rhetorical than operational and necessitating trade-offs in maintenance that eroded readiness in the Indo-Pacific.[52] Greenert maintained that innovative force packaging, such as rotational deployments from Hawaii bases, could sustain commitments without new hardware, yet debates persisted on whether this approach adequately countered China's naval expansion, projected to reach 351 ships by 2020.[53][52]
Post-Retirement Activities
Corporate Leadership Roles
In April 2016, shortly after retiring from the U.S.Navy, Greenert was appointed to the board of directors of BAE Systems, Inc., the American subsidiary of the British multinational defense, security, and aerospace firm, for an initial three-year term.[54] His service on the board continued beyond the initial period, and on June 14, 2024, he succeeded former U.S.
Senator Kelly Ayotte as chair, overseeing strategic direction for the company's U.S. operations, which include significant contracts supporting naval and defense technologies.[55][56]Greenert also holds a position on the board of directors of Johnson Controls Federal Services, a division of Johnson Controls specializing in mission-critical infrastructure, building efficiency solutions, and technology integration for U.S.
government and defense facilities.[12]Beyond board seats, Greenert joined the UBS Americas Advisory Council in 2016, contributing expertise on geopolitical risks and national security to inform the Swiss multinational investment bank's strategies for clients amid global uncertainties.[57] He similarly serves on the advisory board of Fidelis Cybersecurity, providing guidance on cybersecurity challenges relevant to defense and enterprise sectors.[12] These roles leverage his naval leadership experience in areas such as strategic planning, risk assessment, and international operations.
Advisory and Think Tank Contributions
Following his retirement from the U.S.Navy in September 2015, Admiral Jonathan Greenert assumed the John M. Shalikashvili Chair in National Security Studies at the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) in February 2016, a position he held until January 2024.[3] In this role, he provided briefings to congressional, military, and executive branch officials on Indo-Pacific security challenges, emphasizing U.S.
alliancecooperation amid Chinese gray-zone activities.[3][58] His work contributed to NBR analyses, including editing the publication Murky Waters in the East China Sea: Chinese Gray-Zone Operations and U.S.-Japan Alliance Cooperation, which examined escalatory tactics in contested maritime domains and recommended enhanced bilateral deterrence measures.[3] Greenert's nearly decade-long involvement advanced NBR's focus on realistic threat assessments in Asia, drawing on his operational experience to advocate for sustained U.S.
naval presence and technological integration in allied partnerships.[58]Greenert joined NBR's Board of Directors in September 2024, continuing to shape policy-oriented research on regional stability.[58] Concurrently, he engaged with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) as co-chair of its Israel-China Policy Project, co-authoring reports such as "How America and Israel Can Limit Dangerous Chinese Economic Influence" in February 2021, which highlighted risks from Beijing's investments in critical infrastructure and proposed coordinated restrictions to safeguard strategic alliances.[59][60] He participated in JINSA programs, including advisory trips to Israel for senior military leaders and discussions on maintaining readiness during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.[61][62]At the Hudson Institute, Greenert contributed as a senior advisor and panelist on defense innovation, notably discussing undersea warfare disruptions via autonomous systems in an October 2020 event focused on countering anti-submarine threats.[63][64] His inputs supported analyses of naval rebalancing and great-power competition, prioritizing empirical assessments of fleet capabilities over budgetary constraints.[2] These roles underscored Greenert's emphasis on causal factors in maritime security, such as force deployment and technological edge, informed by data from his prior command of Pacific fleets.[64]
Awards and Decorations
Principal Military Honors
Admiral Jonathan W.Greenert received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal six times, recognizing superior meritorious service in duties of great responsibility as a senior naval leader, including his tenure as Chief of Naval Operations.[11] He was also awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal once for exceptional performance in a joint or interagency capacity.[11] The Legion of Merit was conferred upon him four times, honoring deliberate, purposeful, and skillful acts contributing to the national interests of the United States in his submarine command and fleet leadership roles.[11]Greenert earned the Meritorious Service Medal on three occasions for outstanding meritorious achievement or service in non-combat situations during his progressive submarine and operational assignments.[11] In recognition of inspirational leadership, his peers selected him for the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award in 1992 while serving in a key operational position.[11] These honors reflect his 40-year career focused on nuclear submarine operations, strategic fleet command, and high-level naval policy execution.[11]
Personal Life
Family and Private Interests
Greenert married Darleen Greenert shortly after his graduation from the U.S.Naval Academy in 1975.[6] The couple has three children—Jonathan, Brian, and Sarah—all of whom are married—and several grandchildren, including a granddaughter named Willow born to their oldest son while he was serving in Italy.[9][65] Darleen Greenert has been involved in naval traditions, serving as the sponsor for the pre-commissioning unit USS Hyman G.
Rickover (SSN-795), which she christened on October 9, 2021.[65]A native of Butler, Pennsylvania, Greenert is the son of a steelworker at Armco Steel Corp. In Navy slang, a bubblehead is a sailor who has served his career mainly in the submarine fleet, and that is surely true of Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, who became the 30th Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) on September 23, 2011, succeeding Admiral Gary Roughead.
I look forward to seeing many of you then to help celebrate the recognition of Andy as a USNA Distinguished Graduate.
Beat Army!
Fair winds…
Glen
Glen Woods
President, USNA Class of 1978
Jonathan Greenert
Early life and education
A native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Butler, Pennsylvania, Greenert attended Butler Catholic School and Butler Senior High School.
“Admiral Greenert brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from a distinguished, 40-year career as a senior military officer and government leader,” Chertoff said in a statement. In a November 2014 address, he highlighted the Navy's role in sustaining a fleet of 289 ships at the time, with goals of 308 by 2020, to support these objectives without framing the strategy as zero-sum competition.[41] He advocated for concepts like Air-Sea Battle to enable all-domain access in high-threat environments, focusing on operational capabilities rather than explicit targeting of adversaries.[43]In international relations, Greenert pursued military-to-military dialogues to mitigate risks from frequent at-sea encounters, particularly with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
While in high school, he participated in Keystone Boys State, an American Legion leadership program. Apparently not entirely serious in nature, Greenert’s biography in the 1975 Academy yearbook describes him as an “always colorful and almost religiously non-academic” midshipman known for “colorful weekends,” and concludes that “with his personality, good looks, receding hairline and quick wit, he is bound to be a success.”
Commissioned as an ensign upon graduation, Greenert’s early career as a submariner included assignments as electrical material officer aboard the USS Flying Fish, as electrical/operations officer aboard the USS Tautog, as engineer officer aboard Submarine NR-1 (a unique nuclear-powered ocean engineering and research submarine), and as executive officer of the USS Michigan.
Greenert’s first command came in March 1991, when he took charge of the USS Honolulu until July 1993.
The CNO is the most senior uniformed officer in the Department of the Navy (unless the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is a Navy officer) and functions as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as a military adviser to the Secretary of the Navy, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, the Secretary of Defense, and the President.
Born May 15, 1953, Greenert was the third of six children born to a steelworker in the Pittsburgh suburb of Butler, Pennsylvania, where he worked two paper routes as a youth.
He cautioned against public discussions of counter-strategies that could "unnecessarily antagonize" China, a key trading partner, while supporting classified planning for anti-access/area-denial threats.[43] Notable initiatives included the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), adopted by 21 Pacific nations in 2014 to standardize safe interactions, and China's inaugural participation in RIMPAC that year with four ships.[43] Greenert's July 2014 visit to China—the first by a CNO in 13 years—featured meetings with PLAN CommanderAdmiral Wu Shengli, tours of Chinese warships, and agreements on humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and counter-piracy cooperation, aiming to build trust amid territorial disputes.[44][45] These efforts reflected his view that engagement offered opportunities to manage competition professionally, though outcomes depended on reciprocal transparency from China.[46]
Criticisms and Strategic Debates
Greenert's strategic guidance, as outlined in his September 2011 Sailing Directions, emphasized operational flexibility and joint integration but drew criticism for insufficient linkage to overarching national security objectives, fostering perceptions of a mechanistic approach that prioritized bureaucratic alignment over independent naval vision.[47] This reflected broader debates on whether successive CNOs, including Greenert, failed to provide consistent, threat-specific direction amid shifting geopolitical priorities, contributing to the Navy's long-term strategic drift.[47]In July 2014, Rep.Randy Forbes (R-Va.) wrote to Greenert highlighting a "deficit of strategic thinking" in Navy planning, arguing that the service required a more rigorous framework to address emerging threats rather than reactive adjustments to fiscal constraints.[48]Forbes contended that without such a strategy, the Navy risked misalignment with congressional defense priorities and inadequate preparation for peer competitors.[48]Budget sequestration under the 2011 Budget Control Act, implemented in 2013, sparked debates over Greenert's management of force readiness and modernization.