Charles Stevenson "Steve" Abbot (born January 19, 1945) 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 ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

who served as Deputy Commander in Chief,

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russi ...

(DCINCEUR) from 1998 to 2000.

Military career

Abbot was born on January 19, 1945, in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

. He graduated from

Phillips Academy, Andover ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

, in 1962 and first in his class 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 1966 and was chosen as a

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

to attend

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. Selected as a naval aviator, he graduated from the

U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is the Air Force's advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test flight officer, navigators to carry out tests and evaluations of new ...

and later naval nuclear power training. During the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, he commanded the aircraft carrier

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' (CVN-71) is the fourth , nuclear-powered, aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. She is named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States and a proponent of naval power. She is the f ...

and commanded the Theodore Roosevelt battle group while assigned as commander, Carrier Group Eight. He commanded the

United States Sixth Fleet The Sixth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy operating as part of United States Naval Forces Europe. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixth Fleet in ...

from 1996 to 1998, and completed his naval career as deputy commander-in-chief,

Post military career

Abbot retired from the Navy in 2000, and later assumed the position of deputy homeland security advisor to President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

, a position he held from 2001 to 2003. He then served as the President and CEO of

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) is an American non-profit organization that was founded in 1904. The society was created "to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a m ...

, a private, non-profit organization for assisting sailors, Marines, and their families until he retired in 2019. He is also active within the

Military Officers Association of America The Military Officers Association of America is a professional association of United States military officers. It is a nonprofit organization that advocates for a strong national defense, but is politically nonpartisan. The association support ...

, where he sits on several committees. He lives in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

. In 2020, Abbot, along with over 130 other former Republican national security officials, signed a statement that asserted that President Trump was unfit to serve another term, and "To that end, we are firmly convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him." In July 2022, he joined with other former U.S. military leaders in condemning former president and commander in chief,

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 Pe ...

. "While rioters tried to thwart the peaceful transfer of power and ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the president and commander in chief, Donald Trump, abdicated his duty to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.The New York Times, "We Are Retired Generals and Admirals. Trump’s Actions on Jan. 6 Were a Dereliction of Duty." July 21, 202

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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbot, Charles United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni 1945 births Living people American Rhodes Scholars Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War United States Navy personnel of the Gulf War Phillips Academy alumni