Garland Wright Garland " Gar " P . Wright is a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and deputy chief , Navy Reserve . He is a 1977 graduate of the United States Naval Academy where he was co - captain of Navy ’ s first National Championship Sailing team and named an intercollegiate “ All American . " Military career . After designation as a Naval Flight Officer ( NFO ) , he joined the Sea Control Squadron ( VS ) 38 “ Red Griffins ” , completing two Western Pacific deployments aboard USS Constellation ( CV - 64 ) . His next assignment was with VS - 41 , where he served as a Fleet Readiness Squadron ( FRS ) instructor and Tactics Training Department Head , with concurrent duty as the Anti - submarine Warfare Sea Control Wing Pacific ( ASWWINGPAC ) Tactical Development / Evaluation officer and AIREM / BGAREM exercise officer . In 1986 he accepted a reserve commission and was assigned to the VS - 0294 " Moonlighters " , serving sequentially as NFO NATOPS , Training officer , and Maintenance officer . He was reassigned to ASWWINGPAC 0194 as the FRS augment team Officer in Charge ( OIC ) when VS - 0294 was disestablished in 1991 . Rear Adm . Wright ’ s Command tours included : Constellation 0294 , Tactical Support Center 1294 , Naval Air Station North Island 0194 , Force Protection / Law Enforcement Physical Security Unit 0194 , and Commander , Naval Air Force , United States Pacific Fleet ( COMNAVAIRPAC ) 1094 . Non - command assignments included serving as Operations Officer for Joint Force Air Component Command ( JFACC ) 0194 , and Operations Officer for Area Air Defense Command Pacific ( AADCPAC ) . In 1998 he was selected to join an initial cadre of officers to launch the Navy Reserve Officer Leadership Course ( OLC ) . From 1999 to 2002 he served as an adjunct instructor at the Command Leadership School , in Newport , Rhode Island , and in 2000 he was appointed as force - wide director for Navy Reserve Leadership Training . Rear Adm . Wright ’ s first flag assignment was with United States Third Fleet where he served as the Maritime Operations Center ( MOC ) Director , and Deputy for Maritime Homeland Defense ( MHLD ) . In this capacity he advised the Commander on the training / certification of surge - ready forces , development of operational plans , and force employment / joint integration options . In August 2007 he was mobilized to Iraq to fill the billet of Deputy Commander , Task Force 134 ( Detainee Operations ) , Multi - National Force Iraq ( MNF - I ) . On June 6 , 2008 he succeeded Major General MG Douglas M . Stone to become Commander of Multi - national Force - Iraq , Task Force 134 ( Detainee Operations ) . Wright served in this position until September 2009 when he was assigned as the deputy commander , Navy Region Southwest . Awards and decorations . Rear Adm . Wright ’ s personal awards include the Legion of Merit ( 2 ) , Bronze Star , Meritorious Service Medal ( 3 ) , Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal ( 4 ) , and Navy Achievement Medal ( 2 ) . Education . Wright holds an MBA in Finance and is a graduate of Executive and Reserve Component programs at the Naval War College , Naval Postgraduate School , National Defense University , San Diego State University , and Harvard ’ s John F . Kennedy School of Government .