Brian Patrick Fort (born 1966) 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 ...

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

and surface warfare officer who last served as the 35th commander of the United States Naval Forces Japan and commander of

Navy Region Japan U.S. Naval Forces Japan/Navy Region Japan (CNFJ/CNRJ) is a dual-hatted command with command and control authority of all shore installations and assigned forces of the United States Navy in Japan as well as the responsibility to liaise with the Ja ...

from July 10, 2019 to July 14, 2021. As CNFJ/CNRJ, Fort was responsible for providing shore readiness to U.S. naval forces in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and maritime support to the American forward presence in Japan as well as cooperation with the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

to promote regional stability and deter aggression. He previously served as commander of

Navy Region Hawaii Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH or NAVREGHI) is one of eleven current naval regions responsible to Commander, Navy Installations Command for the operation and management of Naval shore installations in Hawaii. The region is commanded by RDML Stephen D. ...

and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific from August 2017 to June 2019, with tours as commodore of

Destroyer Squadron 26 Destroyer Squadron 26 (DESRON-26) is a destroyer squadron of the United States Navy. It was first created in 1950. It has seen action in the Korean War, service in the Atlantic, in the Vietnam War. From 1974 for a period it became the 'Mod Squad', ...

from June 2013 to June 2015 and commanding officer of from February 2008 to August 2010. In March 2021,

Carl Lahti Carl Andrew Lahti (born 1967) is a United States Navy rear admiral and submarine warfare officer who is dual-hatted as the 36th commander of the United States Naval Forces Japan and commander of Navy Region Japan since July 14, 2021. As CNFJ/C ...

, former commandant of

Naval District Washington Naval District Washington is one of eleven current naval regions responsible to Commander, Navy Installations Command for the operation and management of Naval shore installations in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. The Commandant is curren ...

was assigned to succeed Fort as commander of United States Naval Forces Japan and Navy Region Japan. The change of command ceremony took place on July 14, 2021, with Fort retiring from active duty after 32 years of distinguished service.

Early life and education

Raised in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

, Fort received his commission via

Officer Candidate School An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and Enlisted rank, enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a Commission (document), commission as Commissioned officer, officers in the armed forces of a country. ...

in 1990. He earned a master's degree from the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...

in National Security and Strategic Studies and is also a graduate of the

Joint Forces Staff College The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinat ...

USS ''Fitzgerald'' collision investigation

Fort was selected to lead the U.S. Navy's investigation into the collision of the with a civilian merchant ship in June 2017. The sudden assignment resulted in the cancellation of the planned Navy Region Hawaii change of command ceremony with

John V. Fuller John Vincent Fuller (born 1965) is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the 42nd Naval Inspector General since June 11, 2021. Prior to that, Fuller served as deputy director for force protection of the Joint Staff and before that ...

, who assumed command forgoing the ceremony.

Awards and decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort, Brian P. Living people Date of birth missing (living people) 1966 births People from Little Rock, Arkansas Military personnel from Arkansas University of Arkansas alumni Naval War College alumni Joint Forces Staff College alumni Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class United States Navy rear admirals (lower half)