William E . Gortney William Evans " Bill " Gortney ( born September 25 , 1953 ) is a United States Navy admiral who currently serves as the 32nd Commander , U . S . Fleet Forces Command . He previously served as the Director of the Joint Staff from July 1 , 2010 to August 2012 . Prior to that , he served as Commander , U . S . Naval Forces Central Command / 5th Fleet . He assumed his current assignment on September 14 , 2012 . Early life and education . Gortney was born on August 25 , 1953 , and graduated from Elon College ( now Elon University ) in North Carolina , earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science in 1977 . He was an officer of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and a member of the varsity soccer team and the rugby club . The son of a retired U . S . Navy Captain and a second generation Naval Aviator , Gortney entered the U . S . Navy as an aviation officer candidate at Aviation Officer Candidate School ( AOCS , Class 12 - 77 [ The Gamesmen ] ) , NAS Pensacola , Florida . Career . Gortney received his commission in the United States Naval Reserve in September 1977 and earned his wings of gold and designation as a Naval Aviator following graduation from the jet strike pilot training pipeline in December 1978 . Shore assignments include VT - 26 , NAS Beeville , Texas , 1978 – 1980 ; VFA - 125 , NAS Lemoore , California . , 1984 – 1988 , and aide and flag lieutenant to the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations ( Air Warfare ) , Washington , 1990 – 1991 . He is a 1996 graduate of the Naval War College , earning a Master of Arts in International Security Affairs . Additional command tours include Strike Fighter Squadron 15 ( VFA - 15 ) , 1994 – 1995 , on board , and VFA - 106 , the East Coast F / A - 18 Fleet Replacement Squadron , NAS Cecil Field , Fla . , 1996 – 1997 . Fleet assignments include Attack Squadron 82 ( VA - 82 ) , 1981 – 1984 , on board ; VFA - 87 , 1988 – 1990 , on board USS " Theodore Roosevelt " ; executive officer , VFA - 132 , 1991 – 1992 , on board and executive officer , VFA - 15 , 1992 – 1994 , on board USS " Theodore Roosevelt " . Flag assignments . Gortney ' s first flag tour was as the deputy chief of staff for Global Force Management and Joint Operations , Fleet Forces Command , Norfolk , 2004 – 2006 . This was followed by assignment as Commander , Carrier Strike Group 10 , during which time he was promoted to Rear Admiral ( upper half ) . Selected for promotion Vice Admiral , he was then assigned as Commander , U . S . Naval Forces Central Command / U . S . 5th Fleet / Combined Maritime Forces . This was Gortney ’ s third command tour in the U . S . Central Command ( USCENTCOM ) area of operations , supporting Maritime Security Operations and combat operations for Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) and Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) . His previous command assignments in the USCENTCOM area of operations include Command of Carrier Air Wing 7 while he was still a Captain , embarked aboard , in direct support of OEF in 2002 . His second was as Commander , Carrier Strike Group Ten , on board , in support of Maritime Security Operations and OIF from 2007 – 2008 . Gortney ’ s experience in the U . S . Central Command area of operations includes serving on the Joint Staff , J - 33 Joint Operations Department CENTCOM Division ( JODCENT ) from 1998 – 1999 , and tours supporting the violent peace of Operation Southern Watch from 2000 – 2001 as deputy for Current Operations , Joint Task Force Southwest Asia ( JTF - SWA ) , and deploying as deputy commander , Carrier Air Wing 7 , on board . He also served as chief , Naval and Amphibious Liaison Element ( NALE ) to the Combined Forces Air Component Commander , U . S . Central Command , for the opening months of the 2003 invasion of Iraq , followed as chief of staff for Commander U . S . Naval Forces Central Command / U . S . 5th Fleet from 2003 – 2004 . Gortney has flown over 5 , 360 flight hours and 1 , 265 carrier - arrested landings , primarily in the A - 7E Corsair II and the F / A - 18 Hornet .