Joseph Devereux Kernan (born February 4, 1955) is a retired

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

vice admiral and the former

under secretary of defense for intelligence The under secretary of defense for intelligence and security or USD(I&S) is a high-ranking civilian position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) that acts as the principal civilian advisor ...

United States Southern Command The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, o ...

(USSOUTHCOM), Miami, Florida from May 23, 2011 to September 2013. He was the second-in-command of one of nine unified commands under the Department of Defense. Kernan formerly served as the Senior Military Assistant to the

Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...

from August 2009 to May 2011. Prior to that, he served as Commander,

United States Fourth Fleet The U.S. Fourth Fleet is a United States Navy numbered fleet. It is the Naval Component Command of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). The Fourth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. It is responsible for ...

and

United States Naval Forces Southern Command U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (also known as USNAVSO) is the naval element of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). Its areas of operation include South America, Central America, the Caribbean and surrounding waters. Its headquarters ...

from July 1, 2008 to June 12, 2009 and as Commander,

Naval Special Warfare Command The United States Naval Special Warfare Command (USNSWC), also known as (NAVSPECWARCOM and WARCOM), is the naval component of United States Special Operations Command, the unified command responsible for overseeing and conducting the nation's ...

from June 2007 to June 30, 2008. He assumed his final assignment on May 23, 2011. Kernan was nominated as the fifth USD(I) on July 17, 2017, was confirmed by the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

on November 17, 2017, and served until November 10, 2020, when Ezra Cohen-Watnick replaced him as acting Undersecretary for Intelligence.

Early life

Joseph Devereux Kernan was born February 4, 1955 at

Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, California ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, the son of a career

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

pilot and Air Force nurse.

Naval career

Kernan graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1977 and received a commission as an Ensign in the

. He attended Surface Warfare Officer School and reported to based in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

. During his first tour, Kernan served as an Engineering Officer, completed deployments to the Western Pacific and

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

regions and was designated a Surface Warfare Officer. Upon completion of his initial tour with the Surface Warfare community, Kernan received orders to

Naval Amphibious Base Coronado Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB Coronado) is a US naval installation located across the bay from San Diego, California. The base, situated on the Silver Strand, between San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is a major Navy shore command, su ...

for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. After six months of training, Kernan graduated with BUD/S class 117 in May 1982. Following SEAL Basic Indoctrination and completion of a six month probationary period, he received the 1130 designator as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, entitled to wear the SEAL Trident. He commanded Platoons at

Underwater Demolition Team Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), or frogmen, were amphibious units created by the United States Navy during World War II with specialized non-tactical missions. They were predecessors of the navy's current SEAL teams. Their primary WWII f ...

12, later redesigned as SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, and SEAL Team FIVE. Additionally while assigned to SEAL Team 5, he served as Detachment Officer-in-Charge of four deployed SEAL platoons and Deputy Commander, Naval Special Warfare Task Force, Middle East Force. Kernan received assignment to

SEAL Team SIX The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often refer ...

and completed a specialized selection and training course. During which time at SEAL Team Six he planned, rehearsed and operated during classified exercises and contingency operations. He later served his executive officer, Naval Special Warfare Unit 1 in Naval Station Subic Bay,

Republic of the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. His staff positions included the Naval Special Warfare Officer Detailer, operations officer, SEAL Team THREE, Chief of Staff and Deputy commander at Naval Special Warfare Command and Director, of Naval Special Warfare Branch on the Navy Staff. He later earned an M.S. in resource management from

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

in 1997. Kernan served as commanding officer of

SEAL Team TWO The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy, U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command, Naval Special Wa ...

from 1994 to 1996. As a Captain, he served as commanding officer of

Naval Special Warfare Development Group The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often referre ...

from June 1999 to Aug 2003. His joint assignments include Deputy Director and Director of Operations,

Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equi ...

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cu ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, and Director of Operations, Center for Special Operations, United States Special Operations Command,

MacDill AFB MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assi ...

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

Kernan assumed duties as

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in June 2007. On April 24, 2008, Admiral Gary Roughead, the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

, announced that the

would be re-established, effective July 1, with responsibility for United States Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean Sea, as well as throughout Central and South America, with Kernan as the fleet commander, as well as Commander,

, the naval component of the

. Kernan became the first Navy SEAL to serve as a numbered fleet commander. On May 19, 2009, Defense Secretary

Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush a ...

announced that President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

had selected Kernan for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. He assumed the assignment in June 2009. In May 2011, he was assigned as deputy commander

until his retirement in September 2013.

Later career

After his military retirement, Kernan served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for SAP National Security Services. On July 17, 2017, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

announced his intention to nominate Kernan to the position of

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence The under secretary of defense for intelligence and security or USD(I&S) is a high-ranking civilian position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) that acts as the principal civilian advisor ...

. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on November 16, 2017. On November 10, 2020, Kernan retired from government service. Ezra Cohen-Watnick replaced him as the acting Undersecretary for Intelligence.

Business activities and board memberships

Kernan also serves as the chairman of NS2 Serves, a "veteran training and employment program," as well as on the board of directors for both the National Navy SEAL Museum and The Mission Continues, a nonprofit founded by former Missouri governor and former SEAL,

Eric Greitens Eric Robert Greitens (; born April 10, 1974) is a former American politician who was the 56th governor of Missouri from January 2017 until his resignation in June 2018 amid allegations of sexual assault and campaign finance impropriety. Born a ...

Personal life

Kernan and his wife, Janet, have two children: Sean and Shannon. His son Sean is a popular

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writer.

Awards and decorations

United States Navy Special Warfare insignia

Naval Special Warfare insignia

Surface Warfare Officer insignia The surface warfare insignia is a military badge of the United States Navy which is issued to U.S. Navy personnel who are trained and qualified to perform duties aboard United States surface warships. There are presently four classes of the surf ...

Naval Parachutist Badge

Image gallery

File:VADM Joseph D. Kernan.jpg, Vice Admiral Joseph D. Kernan, while serving as Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, in Navy service blues. File:Kernan white.jpg, Vice Admiral Joseph D. Kernan, while serving as Deputy Commander, U.S. Southern Command, in Navy service whites.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kernan, Joseph 1955 births Living people United States Navy SEALs personnel Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Humanitarian Service Medal Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Trump administration personnel United States Navy admirals United States Under Secretaries of Defense