- Michael Mullen
-
For other people named Michael Mullen, see Michael Mullen (disambiguation).
Michael Mullen 
Born October 4, 1946
Los Angeles, California, U.S.Allegiance 
United States of AmericaService/branch 
United States NavyYears of service 1968–2011 Rank 
AdmiralCommands held Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chief of Naval Operations
U.S. Naval Forces Europe
Allied Joint Force Command Naples
Vice Chief of Naval Operations
U.S. Second Fleet
NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic
Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two
George Washington Battle Group
USS Yorktown (CG-48)
USS Goldsborough (DDG-20)
USS Noxubee (AOG-56)Battles/wars Vietnam War Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4)
Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (6)
Officer of the Order of AustraliaMichael Glenn "Mike" Mullen (born October 4, 1946) is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral, who served as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2011. Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28th Chief of Naval Operations from July 22, 2005 to September 29, 2007. He was only the third naval officer in Navy history to be appointed to four different four-star assignments;[1] the others being the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples from October 2004 to May 2005, and as the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 2003 to August 2004. As Chairman, Mullen was the highest ranking officer in the United States Armed Forces. He retired from the Navy after over 43 years of service.
Contents
Early life
The eldest of five children of Hollywood press agent Jack Mullen and his wife Jane,[2] who worked as an assistant to Jimmy Durante, Mullen was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Church (North Hollywood) grade school,[3] and graduated from Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks) in 1964. Mullen then attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, on a basketball scholarship,[2] graduating in 1968.[4]
Admiral Mullen awarding Army Captain Gregory Ambrosia the Silver Star at Korengal Outpost, Afghanistan, July 11, 2008
Career
As a junior officer, he served in various leadership positions aboard USS Collett (DD-730), USS Blandy (DD-943), USS Fox (CG-33) and USS Sterrett (CG-31). He has commanded three ships: the gasoline tanker USS Noxubee (AOG-56), the guided missile destroyer USS Goldsborough (DDG-20), and the guided missile cruiser USS Yorktown (CG-48); and has also commanded Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two and the George Washington Battle Group. Mullen’s last command at sea was as Commander, U.S. Second Fleet/Commander, NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic (COMSTRIKFLTLANT).
In 1985, Mullen graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., with a Master of Science degree in Operations Research, and in 1991, he completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Mullen served as Company Officer and Executive Assistant to the Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. He also served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel as Director, Chief of Planning and Provisions, Surface Officer Distribution and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the staff of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. On the Chief of Naval Operations' staff, Mullen served as Deputy Director and Director of Surface Warfare and as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements, and Assessments (N8). He was the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 2003 to October 2004.
He was recognized by his peers in 1987 with the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership skill.[5] He is one of 53 naval officers to be recognized by this award since its inception in 1980.
As Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Mullen had operational responsibility for NATO missions in the Balkans, Iraq, and the Mediterranean. As Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, he was responsible for providing overall command, operational control, and coordination of U.S. naval forces in the European Command area of responsibility. He assumed these duties on October 8, 2004 and was relieved of them upon his becoming Chief of Naval Operations.
On October 29, 2006, the Honolulu Advertiser published an op-ed by Mullen that defined the concept of the 1,000-ship navy.[6] However Gary Roughead has rejected this scheme in favor of a more inclusive vision that includes non-governmental organizations and cooperation with non-allied countries.[7]
Then-Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mullen with Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter and MCPON Terry D. Scott, February 2006Joint Chiefs of Staff
President George W. Bush (at lectern) announces the nominations of Mullen (second from left) and James Cartwright (far left) to be Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, respectively, on June 28, 2007, at the Roosevelt Room of the White House.On June 8, 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced that he would advise President George W. Bush to nominate Mullen to succeed General Peter Pace as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;[8] Bush announced the nomination formally on June 28, 2007.[9]
On August 3, 2007, the U.S. Senate confirmed Mullen as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[10] Mullen was sworn in on October 1, 2007. Upon taking office, Mullen became the first naval officer to hold the Chairman's position since Admiral William Crowe, who served as Chairman prior to the enactment of the Goldwater-Nichols Act in 1986, and who was the immediate predecessor to Army general and later United States Secretary of State Colin Powell.
On March 18, 2009, Gates recommended to President Barack Obama that Mullen be re-nominated for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs.[11] He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on September 25, 2009[12] and began his second term on October 1, 2009.
On February 2, 2010, Mullen and Gates said that they fully support President Obama’s decision to end the "Don't ask, don't tell" law, which prevents openly gay people from serving in the military. “It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do,” Mullen said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. “No matter how I look at the issue…I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens…For me, it comes down to integrity – theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.”
2007 Senate testimony regarding the Iraq war
During Mullen's Senate confirmation hearings for his first term nomination as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mullen identified political progress in Iraq as a critical component of Iraq policy.[13] He noted that, "there does not appear to be much political progress" in Iraq.[13] He also said, "If [the Iraqis] aren't making progress in [the political] realm, the prospects for movement in a positive direction are not very good. Failure to achieve tangible progress toward [political] reconciliation requires a strategic reassessment."[13] Mullen further told the Senate that the United States needs to "bring as much pressure on [Iraq's political leaders] as [the U.S.] possibly can."[13]
Regarding the length and scope of the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Mullen told the Senate that while he does not envision permanent U.S. bases in Iraq, "vital interests in the region and in Iraq require a pragmatic, long-term commitment that will be measured in years, not months."[13]
Speech to the JINSA on the 2008 Mumbai attacks
Adm. Mullen poses with a member of the U.S. Air Force during a USO visit to southwest Asia, March 2010On December 8, 2008, Mullen spoke to the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) where he accepted JINSA's "Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award." During his speech, Mullen stated that the 2008 Mumbai attacks "crossed a new threshold" and that "Their level of tactical sophistication with GPS and BlackBerrys and satellite phones matches only the indiscriminate nature of death and destruction they caused – and yet they intended far worse." He stated that "We are working to prevent November 26 from becoming a tipping point toward chaos in the region by confronting once again a common enemy." He also stated that "the images of two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg soon after his parents were mercilessly struck down in Chabad house should not ever leave us."[14]
Views on use of military force
Mullen photographed with President Obama and other members of the U.S. national security team watching the events of Operation Neptune's Spear unfold, on May 1, 2011In a speech at Kansas State University,[15] Mullen outlined his views about the best application of military force in present times. He characterized most wars, such as World War II, as wars of attrition, where the reduction or elimination of enemy forces signaled victory. He characterized the Cold War as an issue of containment. In characterizing the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he described them as "a fight against a syndicate of Islamic extremists led by al-Qaeda and supported by a host of both state and non-state actors", citing the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan as their 'epicenter'.
Mullen outlined three principles about the 'proper use of modern military forces':
- Military power should not be the last resort of the state: Mullen pointed to the readiness and capacity of military forces to respond to crises as reason to deploy them sooner, rather than later, in response. "We can, merely by our presence, help alter certain behavior."
- Force should be applied in a precise and principled way: Mullen cites the sacrifice involved in deployment as requiring extreme care. Secondly, Mullen argues that "the battlefield isn’t necessarily a field anymore. It’s in the minds of the people." He cites General McChrystal's restriction of night raids as an example of this 2nd principle in action.
- Policy and strategy should constantly engage with one another: Given that current engagements are open-ended, Mullen posits that military strategy must be more constantly engaged with policy. "...war has never been a set-piece affair. The enemy adapts to your strategy and you adapt to his." He cites the review process which led to the current Afghanistan escalation as a model of engagement between military leaders and policy makers.
Retirement
President Barack Obama nominated General Martin E. Dempsey as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Memorial Day, the holiday that honors the United States's war dead. Dempsey had been sworn in as Army chief of staff the previous month. On September 30, 2011, Mullen officially retired from the military when his term as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) ended.
Military awards
Admiral Mullen's medals as of May 17, 2007.U.S. military decorations[16]
Ribbon Description Notes 
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters 
Navy Distinguished Service Medal with one gold award star 
Defense Superior Service Medal 
Legion of Merit with one silver award star 
Meritorious Service Medal 
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal 
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal 
Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon 
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon 
Navy "E" Ribbon with Wreathed Battle E device 
Navy Expeditionary Medal 
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars 
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 
Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star 
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal 
Humanitarian Service Medal with one bronze star 
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with three bronze stars 
Navy Overseas Service Ribbon with one bronze star Non-U.S. decorations
Ribbon Issuing nation/organisation Description Date awarded Notes 
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Ribbon[16] 
Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation Ribbon[16] 
NATO NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia[16] 
Republic of Chile National Order of Merit (Commander)[17] 
Republic of Italy Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[16] April 14, 2007 
French Republic National Order of the Legion of Honour[16] May 12, 2007 
Commonwealth of Australia Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (Military Division)[18] November 5, 2010 For distinguished service to the military relationship between Australia and the USA as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, USA 
Federal Republic of Germany Federal Cross of Merit[19] June 9, 2011 For concern for German soldiers, his role in strengthening the close German-American friendship, and his services to the Federal Republic of Germany Badges
Badge Description 
Navy Surface Warfare Badge (Officer) 
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge Other awards
In 1987, Mullen was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.[5]
Personal life
Mullen is married to Deborah and together they have two sons, LT John Stewart Mullen, and LT Michael Edward Mullen, who also both attended Annapolis[2] and now serve in the US Navy.[16]
See also
References
- ^ The other two Navy officers being Admiral Thomas H. Moorer and Admiral William J. Fallon.
- ^ a b c Huey-Burns, Caitlin (3 March 2011). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Mike Mullen". US News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/03/28/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-mike-mullen. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ Dowd, Maureen (February 3, 2010). "Defending the Long Gay Line". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/opinion/03dowd.html. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Per Mike Mullen, in appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, June 13, 2011
- ^ a b "Officers Honored With Prestigious Stockdale Award", U.S. Navy official website, November 15, 2006
- ^ COMMENTARY:We Can't Do It Alone
- ^ Clark, Colin Land Forces Will Fade, Navy Rise DOD Buzz, October 13, 2010
- ^ "Pace leaving as Joint Chiefs chairman". CNN. June 8, 2007. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/08/gates.pace/index.html. Retrieved June 8, 2007.
- ^ "President Bush Nominates Admiral Michael Mullen and General James Cartwright to Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff" (in English) (Press release). White House Press Secretary. June 28, 2007. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070628-1.html. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ^ "Senate confirms Mullen as new military chief". Reuters. August 4, 2007. http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0333675520070804. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
- ^ Gates Recommends New Terms, Positions for Senior Officers
- ^ "Mullen Confirmed to Second Term as Joint Chiefs Chairman". SENATUS. September 25, 2009. http://senatus.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/mullen-confirmed-to-second-term-as-joint-chiefs-chairman/. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Nominee Mullen: Little political progress in Iraq". USA Today. August 1, 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-07-30-us-iraq_N.htm?csp=34. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
- ^ Mullen: Mumbai ‘crossed threshold’, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), December 12, 2008.
- ^ Mullen, Mike. Landon Lecture Series Remarks, March 3, 2010, Kansas State University.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Statement of Senator John Warner" (pdf). Nominations of Adm. Michael G. Mullen, USN, for reappointment to the grade of Admiral and to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Gen. James E. Cartwright, USMC, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Committee on Armed Services, US Senate. July 31, 2007. pp. 903–905. http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2007_hr/sasc.pdf. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "MULLEN, Michael Glenn AO". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. November 5, 2010. http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1143383&search_type=quick&showInd=true.
- ^ "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen Received the German Federal Cross of Merit". Archive of Selected Past Events. U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Mission to Germany. June 9, 2011. http://germany.usembassy.gov/events/archive/. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
External links
- Official Joint Chiefs of Staff Web site
- Chairman's Corner Blog
- Michael Mullen on Facebook
- Michael Mullen on Twitter
- Chairman's Channel on the DOD YouTube Channel
- Adm. Michael Mullen at WhoRunsGov at The Washington Post
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Michael Mullen on Charlie Rose
- Michael Mullen at the Internet Movie Database
- Works by or about Michael Mullen in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Michael Mullen collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Michael Mullen collected news and commentary at The Wall Street Journal
- Michael Mullen collected news and commentary at The Jerusalem Post
- Michael Mullen at the Notable Names Database
- "Joint Chiefs Nominee Had Hollywood Upbringing (on Mullen's parents)". Day to Day (audio). NPR. July 30, 2007. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12350070.
- Mulrine, Anna (April 18, 2008). "Admiral Michael Mullen: A Navy Man Looks Out For The Army". U.S. News and World Report. http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/04/18/admiral-michael-mullen-a-navy-man-looks-out-for-the-army.html.
- Complete transcript, audio, video of Admiral Mullen's Retirement Farewell Speech AmericanRhetoric.com
Military offices Preceded by
Vern ClarkChief of Naval Operations
2005–2007Succeeded by
Gary RougheadPreceded by
Peter PaceChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
2007–2011Succeeded by
Martin Dempsey
Categories:- 1946 births
- American military personnel of the Vietnam War
- Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Chiefs of Naval Operations
- Harvard Business School alumni
- Honorary Officers of the Order of Australia
- Living people
- Naval Postgraduate School alumni
- People from Los Angeles, California
- Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- United States Naval Academy alumni
- United States Navy admirals
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