David C . Nichols Vice Admiral David C . Nichols , Jr . is a retired senior U . S . Navy officer and Naval Flight Officer . At the time of his retirement in September 2007 , he was the Deputy Commander of United States Central Command ( USCENTCOM ) at MacDill AFB , Florida . Following graduation from the University of Tennessee , Vice Admiral Nichols was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army through the Army ROTC program . He is also a graduate of U . S . Army Ranger School . After a lateral transfer to the United States Navy and Naval Flight Officer training at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida , he reported to NAS Whidbey Island , Washington , in October 1974 for training in the A - 6 Intruder carrier - based attack aircraft . Vice Admiral Nichols ' duty at sea includes tours in Attack Squadron 145 ( VA - 145 ) , Attack Squadron 165 ( VA - 165 ) and Attack Squadron 196 ( VA - 196 ) . He commanded Attack Squadron 196 ( VA - 196 ) on board USS " Independence " in 1990 - 1991 during Operation Desert Shield and Carrier Air Wing Two on board USS " Constellation " in 1994 - 1995 during deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch . He commanded Carrier Group One headquartered at NAS North Island in San Diego , California from July 2000 until November 2001 . He then assumed the duties as Commander , United States Naval Forces Central Command ( COMUSNAVCENT ) and Commander , United States Fifth Fleet at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Manama , Bahrain from October 2003 until November 2005 . His assignments ashore include duty as an Operational Test Director in Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 5 ( VX - 5 ) at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake , California ; Tactics Department Head at the Naval Strike Warfare Center / Strike University at NAS Fallon , Nevada ; Executive Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy — Tactical Programs in Washington , D . C . ; and Attack Readiness Officer at Medium Attack and Tactical Electronic Warfare Wing , U . S . Pacific Fleet ( MATVAQWINGPAC ) at NAS Whidbey Island . He commanded the Naval Strike Warfare Center / Strike University in 1995 - 1996 and the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon , Nevada from May 2002 to October 2003 . His joint duty includes Executive Assistant to the Commander in Chief , U . S . Pacific Command ( USPACOM ) , at Camp Smith , Hawaii , from May 1996 until May 1998 , and Deputy Director of Operations ( DJ3 ) for U . S . Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida , from June 1998 until June 2000 . He served as Deputy Commander , Joint Task Force Southwest Asia ( JTF - SWA ) and Combined Air Operations Center Director at Prince Sultan Air Base , Saudi Arabia , from November 2001 through March 2002 during Operation Enduring Freedom . During Operation Iraqi Freedom he was the USCENTCOM Deputy Combined Forces Air Component Commander ( Deputy CFACC ) , again at Prince Sultan Air Base , from February to May 2003 . VADM Nichols is a distinguished graduate of the United States Naval War College , Newport , Rhode Island , and a graduate of the National Defense University ' s Joint and Combined Staff Officer School at the Joint Forces Staff College , Norfolk , Virginia . He completed Senior Executive programs at the Asia - Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu and the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington , D . C . Awards and decorations . VADM Nichols has over 5 , 000 flight hours in various models of Navy aircraft , including more than 4 , 000 hours in the A - 6 Intruder . His personal awards include multiple awards of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal , Navy Distinguished Service Medal , Defense Superior Service Medal , Legion of Merit , Meritorious Service Medal , Air Medal , Navy Commendation Medal , and Navy Achievement Medal . He was a recipient of the U . S . Pacific Fleet Naval Flight Officer of the Year award as a Lieutenant Commander and the Senator Henry M . Jackson Memorial Leadership Award as a Commander .