John Dickson Stufflebeem

Infobox Military Person
name=John Dickson Stufflebeem
born= 1952
died=
placeofbirth=Japan while father was in the Navy
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption=Then-Vice Admiral Stufflebeem, USN Director, Navy Staff
nickname=Boomer
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Navy
serviceyears=1969-2008
rank= Vice Admiral Retired as a Rear Admiral
commands=Director, Navy Staff 6th Fleet Carrier Group Two Fighter Squadron Eighty-Four Carrier Air Wing One
unit=
battles=
awards=Legion of Merit (4) Bronze Star Air Medal (2)
relations=

John Dickson "Boomer" Stufflebeem, was a United States Navy three-star vice admiral and Director, Navy Staff until he was relieved of his position and demoted on March 21 2008 due to allegations that he provided false and misleading statements during a Defense Department investigation.cite web |url=http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/03/navy_stufflebeem_032408w/ |title=Vice admiral fired over false testimony |accessdate=2008-05-10 |author=David Brown |date=2008-03-30 |work=NavyTimes.com |publisher=Army Times Publishing Company] Formerly he served as the Commander of the 6th Fleet and Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy and Operations. He subsequently retired from the Navy at his permanent two-star grade of rear admiral.

Stufflebeem was born in Japan in 1952 while his father was stationed there in the Navy. Stufflebeem enlisted in the Navy Reserve in 1969 beginning his service as a deck seaman before being accepted into the United States Naval Academy in 1971. He graduated from the academy in 1975 and was designated a Surface Warfare Officer in 1978 and Naval Aviator in 1980. Nicknamed "Boomer" as a punter on the Naval Academy football team, he played three seasons of professional football, punting for the Detroit Lions during his first assignment after graduation.

As a commissioned officer, Stufflebeem served operational tours in a surface combatant, various fighter squadrons and carrier air wing staffs in the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. He commanded Fighter Squadron Eighty-Four and Carrier Air Wing One during combat operations in the Balkans and Persian Gulf and Carrier Group Two/Task Force Sixty during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stufflebeem has flown over 4,000 hours in a variety of fighter aircraft and has more than 1,000 aircraft carrier landings.

Additionally, Stufflebeem has served in staff assignments including Military Aide to President George H. W. Bush, Deputy Executive Assistant and later, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. His first assignment as a flag officer was Deputy Director for Global Operations (J-3) on the Joint Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Stufflebeem’s decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (four awards), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and Air Medal (two strike/flight awards).

On 20 May 2005 at Naval Support Activity Naples, Stufflebeem was promoted to vice admiral and took command of the 6th Fleet, relieving then Vice Admiral Harry Ulrich. He held this position until September 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/09/admiral.affair/index.html |title=Admiral's affair included sex at White House |accessdate=2008-05-10 |author=Jamie McIntyre |date=2008-05-09 |work=CNN.com |quote=He was commander of the 6th Fleet from May 2005 to September 2007.]

in December 2007, VADM Stufflebeem assumed the duties of Director, Navy Staff, relieving then Vice Admiral Mark P. Fitzgerald.

Early in 2008, the Department of Defense began an investigation into an allegation that Stufflebeem had an inappropriate relationship while serving as a presidential military aide in 1990. It was determined that Stufflebeem had provided false and misleading testimony. The Navy announced on March 24, 2008 that Stufflebeem was removed as director of the Naval staff. [Washington Post, "Navy Relieves Vice Admiral", March 25, 2008, p. 5.] His removal from his post was not directly due to the allegations, and that investigation is ongoing. Pending the outcome of the investigations, Stufflebeem’s rank has reverted back to his permanent grade of rear admiral (upper half). Rear Admiral Stufflebeem was reassigned to serve on the staff of the CNO pending his review.

On April 21, 2008, the US Navy announced that Stufflebeem had received a written reprimand as a result of the investigation ["Philadelphia Inquirer", April 22, 2008] . He retired from the Navy shortly thereafter.

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References

* This article includes text from the public domain [http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/people/flags/biographies/bios-top.html United States Navy Biographies] and various press releases.
* [http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/03/navy_stufflebeem_032408w/ "Brown, D., Vice admiral fired over false testimony. Navy Times. March 24, 2008"]