# James G. Foggo III

James Gordon Foggo III MSC (born September 2, 1959) is a retired United States Navy admiral who last served as commander of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. He previously served as the director of Navy Staff. Prior to that, he served as the commander of United States Sixth Fleet. He assumed his last assignment on October 20, 2017. On July 17, 2020, he relinquished command of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command Naples to Admiral Robert P. Burke.

## Early life and education

Foggo was born in September 1959 in the HQ Northern Army Group in Mönchengladbach-Rheindahlen in West Germany. He is a 1981 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a native of Virginia. He is also an Olmsted Scholar and Moreau Scholar, earning a master's degree in public administration at Harvard University and a Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies in Defense and Strategic Studies from the University of Strasbourg, France.

## Naval career

Foggo's sea duties include tours aboard USS Sea Devil (SSN-664), USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658) and USS Narwhal (SSN-671). He commanded the attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723) in 1998, which was awarded the Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) EIGHT Battle Efficiency award and the Commander Fleet Forces Command Admiral Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy for being the most improved ship in the Atlantic Fleet. Foggo completed his major command tour as Commodore of Submarine Squadron SIX (COMSUBRON 6) in 2007.
Ashore, Foggo has served as special assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology; senior member of the Atlantic Fleet Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board at Commander Fleet Forces Command; executive assistant to the director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion (NAVSEA 08); division chief, Joint Staff (J5) for Western Europe and the Balkans; director, executive assistant to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; executive officer to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and commander, United States European Command, Director, Assessment Division (N81) and assistant deputy chief of naval operations (operations, plans and strategy) (N3/N5B).
In Naples, Italy, Foggo served as commander, Submarine Group 8; commander, Submarines, Allied Naval Forces South; deputy commander, United States Sixth Fleet, and director of Operations, Intelligence (N3), United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa. During this period, he served as the operations officer (J-3) for Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn (Libya). Additionally, Foggo was a NATO Commander Task Force commander in Joint Task Force Unified Protector (Libya). In most recent assignment, Foggo commanded the United States Sixth Fleet, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO; deputy commander, United States Naval Forces Europe; deputy commander, United States Naval Forces Africa; and Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Europe.
Foggo was responsible for conducting the NATO exercise Trident Juncture from 25 October to 7 November 2018.

## Post-retirement activities

Foggo is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Explorer’s Club of New York, and was as of January 2023 a distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis.
As recently as November 2021 Foggo served as the dean for the Center for Maritime Strategy, a Washington-based think tank that is a part of the Navy League of the United States.
Foggo thinks that the Fourth Battle of the Atlantic was joined already in January 2023.

## Awards and decorations

Officer Submarine Warfare insignia :
| Defense Distinguished Service Medal | Defense Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal w/ 2 gold award stars |
| Defense Superior Service Medal w/ 3 bronze oak leaf clusters | Legion of Merit w/ 3 award stars | Defense Meritorious Service Medal |
| Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 award stars | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ 2 award stars | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal |
| Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 2 oak leaf clusters | Navy Unit Commendation | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 3 bronze service stars |
| Navy "E" Ribbon with three Battle E awards | Navy Expeditionary Medal | National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star |
| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Armed Forces Service Medal w/ 1 service star | Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 1 silver service star |
| Navy Arctic Service Ribbon | Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon w/ 3 service stars | Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon |
| French Legion of Honour, Knight (2017) | French National Order of Merit, Knight (2006) | Medal of the Cross of Saint-George, Commander (Portugal) |
| Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Commander | Meritorious Service Cross, Military Division (Canada) | NATO Meritorious Service Medal w/ 1 service star |
| NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia w/ 1 service star | Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal | Oklahoma State Distinguished Service Medal (Not authorized for wear on a Navy uniform) |
| Silver SSBN Deterrent Patrol insignia (5 awards) |||
| Command at Sea insignia |||
| Allied Joint Force Command Naples Badge |||
In addition, he was awarded:
* The 1995 Admiral Charles A. Lockwood Award for Submarine Professional Excellence.
* On 4 July 2020, the Canada Gazette published that Admiral Foggo has earned the Canadian Meritorious Service Cross, permitting him to use the post-nominal letters "MSC" at the end of his name.