# Leadership of the United States Southern Command

This is a list of all commanders, deputy commanders, senior enlisted leaders, and chiefs of staff of the United States Southern Command.

## Current combatant command staff

* Alvin Holsey, Commander
** Evan Pettus, Military Deputy Commander
*** Julie L. Nethercot, Chief of Staff
**** Jeff E. Elliott, Director, Manpower and Personnel (J1)
**** Dustin A. Shultz, Director, Intelligence (J2)
**** Brendan C. McPherson, Director, Operations (J3)
**** Douglas R. Burke, Director, Logistics (J4)
**** Julian C. Cheater, Director, Plans and Policy (J5)
**** Anne-Marie R. Wiersgalla, Director, Communication Systems (J6)
**** Kevin J. Bostick, Director, Exercises and Coalition (J7/9)
**** Adam Winkleman, Director, Resources and Analysis (J8)
** Javier A. Reina, Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs

## List of commanders of the United States Southern Command

| No. | Commander | Commander | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| 1 | | Crittenberger, Willis D.Lieutenant General Willis D. Crittenberger (1890–1980) | November 1947 | June 1948 | ~ 213 days | U.S. Army |
| 2 | | Ridgway, Matthew B.Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgway (1895–1993) | June 1948 | October 1949 | ~ 1 year, 122 days | U.S. Army |
| 3 | | Morris Jr., William H. H.Lieutenant General William H. H. Morris Jr. (1890–1971) | October 1949 | April 1952 | ~ 2 years, 183 days | U.S. Army |
| 4 | | McBride, Horace L.Lieutenant General Horace L. McBride (1894–1962) | April 1952 | June 1954 | ~ 2 years, 61 days | U.S. Army |
| 5 | | Harrison Jr., William K.Lieutenant General William K. Harrison Jr. (1895–1987) | June 1954 | January 1957 | ~ 2 years, 214 days | U.S. Army |
| 6 | | Montague, Robert M.Lieutenant General Robert M. Montague (1899–1958) | January 1957 | February 1958 | ~ 1 year, 31 days | U.S. Army |
| 7 | | Gaither, RidgelyLieutenant General Ridgely Gaither (1903–1992) | April 1958 | July 1960 | ~ 2 years, 91 days | U.S. Army |
| 8 | | Sink, Robert F.Lieutenant General Robert F. Sink (1905–1965) | July 1960 | January 1961 | ~ 184 days | U.S. Army |
| 9 | | O'Meara, AndrewGeneral Andrew P. O'Meara (1907–2005) | 6 January 1961 | 22 February 1965 | 4 years, 47 days | U.S. Army |
| 10 | | Porter, RobertGeneral Robert W. Porter Jr. (1908–2000) | 22 February 1965 | 18 February 1969 | 3 years, 362 days | U.S. Army |
| 11 | | Mather, GeorgeGeneral George R. Mather (1911–1993) | 18 February 1969 | 20 September 1971 | 2 years, 214 days | U.S. Army |
| 12 | | Underwood, GeorgeGeneral George V. Underwood Jr. (1913–1984) | 20 September 1971 | 17 January 1973 | 1 year, 119 days | U.S. Army |
| 13 | | Rosson, WilliamGeneral William B. Rosson (1918–2004) | 17 January 1973 | 1 August 1975 | 2 years, 196 days | U.S. Army |
| 14 | | McAuliffe, DennisLieutenant General Dennis P. McAuliffe | 1 August 1975 | 1 October 1979 | 4 years, 61 days | U.S. Army |
| 15 | | Nutting, WallaceLieutenant General Wallace H. Nutting (born 1928) | 1 October 1979 | 24 May 1983 | 3 years, 235 days | U.S. Army |
| 16 | | Gorman, PaulGeneral Paul F. Gorman (born 1927) | 24 May 1983 | 1 March 1985 | 1 year, 281 days | U.S. Army |
| 17 | | Galvin, JohnGeneral John R. Galvin (1929–2015) | 1 March 1985 | 6 June 1987 | 2 years, 97 days | U.S. Army |
| 18 | | Woerner, FrederickGeneral Frederick F. Woerner Jr. (1933–2023) | 6 June 1987 | 1 October 1989 | 2 years, 117 days | U.S. Army |
| 19 | | Thurman, MaxwellGeneral Maxwell R. Thurman (1931–1995) | 1 October 1989 | 21 November 1990 | 1 year, 51 days | U.S. Army |
| 20 | | Joulwan, GeorgeGeneral George A. Joulwan (born 1939) | 21 November 1990 | October 1993 | ~ 2 years, 314 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Worthington, W.Major General Walter T. Worthington Acting | October 1993 | 17 February 1994 | ~ 139 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 21 | | McCaffrey, BarryGeneral Barry McCaffrey (born 1942) | 17 February 1994 | 1 March 1996 | 2 years, 13 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Perkins, JamesRear Admiral James Perkins Acting | 1 March 1996 | 26 June 1996 | 117 days | U.S. Navy |
| 22 | | Clark, WesleyGeneral Wesley Clark (born 1944) | 26 June 1996 | 13 July 1997 | 1 year, 17 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Doran, Walter F.Rear Admiral Walter F. Doran (born 1945) Acting | 13 July 1997 | 25 September 1997 | 74 days | U.S. Navy |
| 23 | | Wilhelm, CharlesGeneral Charles E. Wilhelm (born 1941) | 25 September 1997 | 8 September 2000 | 2 years, 349 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 24 | | Pace, PeterGeneral Peter Pace (born 1945) | 8 September 2000 | 30 September 2001 | 1 year, 22 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| - | | Speer, GaryMajor General Gary D. Speer Acting | 30 September 2001 | 18 August 2002 | 322 days | U.S. Army |
| 25 | | Hill, JamesGeneral James T. Hill (born 1946) | 18 August 2002 | 9 November 2004 | 2 years, 83 days | U.S. Army |
| 26 | | Craddock, BantzGeneral Bantz J. Craddock (born 1949) | 9 November 2004 | 19 October 2006 | 1 year, 344 days | U.S. Army |
| 27 | | Stavridis, JamesAdmiral James G. Stavridis (born 1955) | 19 October 2006 | 25 June 2009 | 2 years, 249 days | U.S. Navy |
| 28 | | Fraser, DouglasGeneral Douglas M. Fraser (born 1953) | 25 June 2009 | 19 November 2012 | 3 years, 147 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 29 | | Kelly, JohnGeneral John F. Kelly (born 1950) | 19 November 2012 | 14 January 2016 | 3 years, 56 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 30 | | Tidd, KurtAdmiral Kurt W. Tidd (born 1956) | 14 January 2016 | 26 November 2018 | 2 years, 316 days | U.S. Navy |
| 31 | | Faller, CraigAdmiral Craig S. Faller (born 1961) | 26 November 2018 | 29 October 2021 | 2 years, 337 days | U.S. Navy |
| 32 | | Richardson, LauraGeneral Laura J. Richardson (born 1963) | 29 October 2021 | 7 November 2024 | 3 years, 9 days | U.S. Army |
| 33 | | Holsey, AlvinAdmiral Alvin Holsey (born 1965) | 7 November 2024 | Incumbent | 49 days | U.S. Navy |

## List of military deputy commanders of the United States Southern Command

| No. | Deputy Commander | Deputy Commander | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| - | | Smith, Jerome F. Jr.Rear Admiral Jerome F. Smith Jr. | August 1990 | ~July 1994 | ~3 years, 334 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Perkins, James B. IIIRear Admiral Walter T. Worthington | July 1992 | ~July 1994 | ~2 years | U.S. Air Force |
| - | | Perkins, James B. IIIRear Admiral James B. Perkins III | July 1994 | ~December 1996 | ~2 years, 153 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Doran, WalterRear Admiral Walter Doran (born 1945) | December 1996 | July 1998 | ~1 year, 212 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Speer, GaryMajor General Gary D. Speer | July 2000 | October 2002 | ~2 years, 92 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Spears, GlennLieutenant General Glenn Spears (born 1956) | June 2006 | July 2009 | ~3 years, 30 days | U.S. Air Force |
| - | | Keen, KenLieutenant General Ken Keen (born 1952) | 2009 | May 2011 | ~1 year, 319 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Kernan, Joseph D.Vice Admiral Joseph D. Kernan (born 1955) | May 2011 | September 2013 | ~2 years, 123 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Tovo, Kenneth E.Lieutenant General Kenneth E. Tovo (born 1961) | September 2013 | June 2015 | ~1 year, 273 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | DiSalvo, Joseph P.Lieutenant General Joseph P. DiSalvo (born 1965) | June 2015 | August 2018 | ~3 years, 61 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Plehn, Michael T.Lieutenant General Michael T. Plehn (born 1965) | 22 October 2018 | 20 December 2020 | 2 years, 59 days | U.S. Air Force |
| - | | Croft, Andrew A.Lieutenant General Andrew A. Croft (born 1965) | 20 December 2020 | 1 February 2023 | 2 years, 43 days | U.S. Air Force |
| - | | Holsey, AlvinVice Admiral Alvin Holsey (born 1965) | 1 February 2023 | 7 November 2024 | 1 year, 280 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Pettus, EvanLieutenant General Evan Pettus | 7 November 2024 | Incumbent | 49 days | U.S. Air Force |

## List of senior enlisted leaders of the United States Southern Command

| No. | Senior enlisted leader | Senior enlisted leader | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| - | | Command Sergeant Major Michael M. Balch | 6 December 2004 | ~August 2009 | ~4 years, 252 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Sergeant Major Louis M. Espinal | 9 October 2009 | ~April 2012 | ~2 years, 189 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| - | | Command Sergeant Major Eric J. Geressy | April 2012 | August 2014 | ~1 year, 212 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Command Sergeant Major William B. Zaiser | ~August 2014 | 6 January 2017 | ~2 years, 144 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Sergeant Major Bryan K. Zickefoose | 6 January 2017 | 17 August 2020 | 3 years, 224 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| - | | Command Sergeant Major Benjamin Jones | 17 August 2020 | 6 September 2023 | 3 years, 20 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Sergeant Major Rafael Rodriguez | 6 September 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 111 days | U.S. Marine Corps |

## List of chiefs of staff of the United States Southern Command

| No. | Chief of Staff | Chief of Staff | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| - | | Major General Juan G. Ayala (born 1956) | June 2010 | May 2012 | ~1 year, 335 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| - | | Major General Joseph P. DiSalvo | May 2012 | June 2013 | ~1 year, 31 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Major General Mark C. Nowland (born 1958) | June 2013 | December 2014 | ~1 year, 183 days | U.S. Air Force |
| - | | Major General Michael T. Plehn (born 1965) | January 2015 | June 2017 | ~2 years, 151 days | U.S. Air Force |
| - | | Major General Jon A. Norman | June 2017 | July 2018 | ~1 year, 30 days | U.S. Air Force |
| - | | Major General Patricia M. Anslow | July 2018 | June 2020 | ~1 year, 336 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Rear Admiral Yvette M. Davids (born 1967) | June 2020 | July 2022 | ~2 years, 30 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Major General Scott A. Jackson (born 1970) | July 2022 | July 2024 | ~1 year, 352 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Major General Julie L. Nethercot | July 2024 | Incumbent | ~178 days | U.S. Marine Corps |