Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced President Biden nominated several Navy officials on May 17, including the next commander of 6th Fleet and the principal military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN-RDA).
Rear Adm. Jeffrey Anderson was nominated for his third star as vice admiral and assigned as the next commander of 6th Fleet. If confirmed, he would concurrently serve as commander of Task Force Six, commander of Striking and Support Forces NATO, deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe, deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Africa and Joint Force Maritime Component commander Europe.
Anderson currently serves as director of Operations, J-3 at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. He previously served as commander of Carrier Strike Group 3 on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and deputy director for Political-Military Affairs – Asia within Joint Staff J5. He also previously served as deputy executive assistant to the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and executive assistant to the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Indo-Pacific Command.
If confirmed, Anderson would succeed Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee.
The Pentagon also said Biden nominated Adm. Scott Pappano to be vice admiral and assigned as the principal military deputy assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition under ASN-RDA Nickolas Guertin.
Pappano has been serving as the program executive officer for Strategic Submarines since the current program office was created in 2021.
If confirmed, Pappano would succeed Vice Adm. Francis Morley, who is retiring after having held the post since August 2021.
Previously, Pappano held positions including commander of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Director of the Comprehensive Test Facility, major program manager for the Strategic and Attack Submarine Program Office (PMS 392) and program executive officer for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program.
In the same announcement, the Pentagon announced Rear Adm. Christopher French was appointed vice admiral and will be assigned as Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Navy. French is currently the deputy JAG. If confirmed, he will succeed the current JAG, Vice Adm. Darse Crandall.
Rear Adm. Nancy Lacore is also up for promotion to vice admiral and to be assigned as chief of Navy Reserve, N095 in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. She currently serves as the 93rd Commandant of Naval District Washington and has been in the position since June 2022.