Daniel S . Mastagni Daniel S . Mastagni is a retired Rear Admiral ( Lower Half ) of the United States Navy Reserve who , from July to September 2003 served as Commander Naval Forces Korea . Active Duty Service . Admiral Mastagni was commissioned from the United States Naval Academy in June 1972 ; his first assignment was as a junior officer on board the USS Dale ( CG - 12 ) , prior to assignment at Navy flight school . From 1973 to 1974 , Admiral Mastagni was attached to Training Air Wing Four and was designated as a Naval Aviator on June 21 , 1974 for service in P - 3 Orion s . Admiral Mastagni ' s first active flight assignment was with Patrol Squadron 22 , stationed at Barbers Point , Hawaii . Through this tour , Admiral Mastagni served as a P - 3B pilot and was designated as a Patrol Plane Mission Commander on September 22 , 1976 . In 1977 , then Lieutenant Mastagni was transferred to serve a tour of duty at the United States Air Force Academy as a Navy liaison instructor . He was released from active duty in June 1979 with seven years of active service . Reserve Duty Service . After leaving active duty , Admiral Mastagni joined the Navy Reserve in the fall of 1979 . He affiliated with the Naval Air Station in New Orleans , Louisiana and was attached to Patrol Squadron 94 ( VP - 94 ) as the Maintenance and Operations Officer . Admiral Mastagni would later serve as both the Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the unit . Admiral Mastagni was next assigned to a reserve unit supporting Naval Air Station Rota , Spain where he first acted as Training Officer and later as Commanding Officer . In 1993 , Admiral Mastagni assumed command of Naval Reserve Patrol Wing Atlantic , Detachment 0186 ( NR PATWINGLANT 0186 ) and transferred his reserve center affiliation to Norfolk , Virginia . While at Norfolk , he was transferred to command Naval Reserve Det 1086 , Naval Air Forces Atlantic ( NRNAVAIRLANT 1086 ) . During his four years of reserve command in Norfolk , Admiral Mastagni was the director of Exercise Control for " Exercise Northern Viking " and Senior Naval Liaison Officer for " Joint Exercise 96 - 1 " He also served as the Senior Naval Liaison Officer to the headquarters of the Eighth Air Force and further completed the " Reserve Components National Security Course " on July 30 , 1993 . In 1997 , Admiral Mastagni was transferred to Naval Reserve Detachment 111 , Commander Seventh Fleet which operated out of Carswell Air Force Base in Texas . He first served as Special Assistant and later as Executive Officer and participated in five western Pacific exercises ; twice as the senior Seventh Fleet representative and also as Officer - in - Charge of Exercise Northwest Pacific . He also served three times as the Officer - in - Charge of Naval Reserve units attached to Exercise " Ulchi Focus Lens " ( held annually in South Korea ) . In between training periods , Admiral Mastagni continued his professional military education and attended the National Defense University , the Industrial College of the Armed Forces , and participated in exchange duty with the Republic of Germany . In October 2000 , Admiral Mastagni was attached to a Volunteer Training Unit ( NR VTU 8282 ) in a non - pay status . In 2001 , he was selected for flag rank and was advanced to Rear Admiral ( lower half ) in September 2002 . Flag rank . Admiral Mastagni ' s first assignment as a flag officer was as the Commander of Naval Reserve Forces Korea ( considered the reserve deputy to the active duty CNFK Admiral ) with further designation as Commander Naval Shore Forces Korea and Commander Rear Area Seventh Fleet . Admiral Mastagni served in this assignment from 2002 to 2003 , when he was recalled to active duty to serve as Commander Naval Forces Korea . In the history of CNFK , Rear Admiral Mastagni is the only reserve admiral to ever hold the billet ; his assumption to the post was to fill the vacant position left by the departure of Rear Admiral Gary R . Jones . Admiral Mastagni was relieved two months later by Rear Admiral Fred Byus . Returning to the status of a reservist , he next transferred to serve as Deputy Commander , Fleet Air Force Mediterranean and , in 2004 , was transferred to become the Vice Commander , Navy Region Europe . In September 2005 , Admiral Mastagni retired from the United States Navy with over thirty three years of combined active and reserve service . Civilian career . Admiral Mastagni was born in Rapid City , South Dakota but spent his youth in Sacramento , California . Admiral Mastagni ' s father , Emil Mastagni , was a retired United States Air Force Colonel with service in World War II . While serving in the Navy Reserve , Admiral Mastagni worked as a professional airline pilot for Continental Airlines . As of 2006 , Admiral Mastagni resides in the vicinity of Grapevine , Texas . Summary of Service . Awards and Decorations . Citations for Admiral Mastagni include : LEGION OF MERIT For exceptional meritious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the United States of America during the period August 1997 to September 2003 . During this period , Rear Admiral Daniel S . Mastagni performed duties under the authority of the United States Seventh Fleet and served on active duty as the Commander Naval Forces Korea . Given this 15th day of December 2003 ; For the Secretary of the Navy : Walter F . Doran MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL For outstanding meritorious service while serving as Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron 94 , Naval Air Station New Orleans , Louisiana from March 1989 through October 1990 . Commander Mastangi ’ s innovative leadership and innate abilities were the driving force behind his squadron attaining the highest possible level of mobilization readiness . He oversaw the establishment of superlative safety programs and the flawless execution of two Annual Training periods and two major Drug Interdiction detachments . During this tenure , Commander Mastagni left his personal mark of excellence on every facet of squadron life , resulting in his squadron being the Commander Reserve Patrol Wing Atlantic ( COMRESPATWINGLANT ) nominee for the Commander Naval Air Reserve Force Noel Davis " Battle E " Award for 1989 as well as the winner of the 1989 COMRESPATWINGLANT Retention Excellence Award . By his tireless efforts , inspiring leadership , and loyal dedication to duty , Commander Mastagni reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service . For outstanding meritorious service as Commanding Officer of Naval Reserve Patrol Wing Atlantic 0186 at Naval Air Reserve Norfolk from October 1993 through October 1996 . Displaying superb leadership , Captain Mastagni provided qualified command personnel who contributed to the successful planning and execution of the Commander Reserve Patrol Wing Aerial Minded Exercise Resolute Response and Counter Narcotic Patrol Operations . He directly supported the planning and execution of Operation Uphold Democracy , the blockade of Haiti , and Operation Sharp Guard , the aerial blockade of Bosnia . Assuming the duties of the Control Group Commander for Joint Exercise Northern Viking , Captain Mastagni oversaw the research , planning , and training required for this exercise and supplied quality personnel needed to make an operation if the defense of Ireland were ever required . Additionally , the unit consistently maintained a trained effectiveness rate above 90 percent . The unit readiness and retention level was also at 100 percent . Captain Mastagni ’ s professional ability , superb leadership , and devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service . For outstanding meritorious service as Commanding Officer , Naval Reserve , Commander Naval Air Force , United States Atlantic Fleet NR COMNAVAIRLANT 1086 from October 1996 to September 1997 . Captain Mastagni consistently performed his demanding duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner . An extraordinary and resourceful leader , Captain Mastagni led NR COMNAVAIRLANT 1086 to unprecedented levels of readiness and fleet support . Under his strong guidance , the unit attained an impressive R1 readiness status despite an 18 percent decrease in personnel assets . While serving during a period of decreasing personnel manning and sever manpower constraints , Captain Mastagni ’ s leadership enabled NR COMNAVAIRLANT 1086 to provide the Atlantic Fleet with continuous 24 hour a day staff support and provided countless man days of support from officers and enlisted personnel . Committed and dedicated to the concept of total force structure , Captain Mastagni significantly enhanced the ability of COMNAVAIRLANT 1086 by personally transforming the unit from an exclusive COMNAVAIRLANT support unit into a joint force team capable of serving all Joint Forces throughout the world . His unit provided unprecedented Navy Reserve centralization to seven defense exercises , including Indifferent Strike , Deny Flight , Solid Citizen , Solid Shield and many others . By his exceptional professional ability , personal initiative , and total dedication to duty , Captain Mastagni reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Reserve . For outstanding meritorious service as Executive Officer , Exercise Action Officer , and Exercise Site Officer - in - Charge , Naval Reserve Commander Seventh Fleet Detachment One - One - One from October 1997 to September 2000 . Captain Mastagni directed the efforts of more than 350 officers and enlisted personnel who provided more than 14 , 000 days of contributory support . His personal participation in six major training exercises , serving in the most demanding and responsible positions , received recognition at the highest levels of the Pacific Fleet . Due to Captain Mastagni ’ s strong and dynamic leadership his unit ’ s outstanding reputation in Seventh Fleet Operations has been reinforced and enhanced . His direction of the largest Annual Training and Additional Duty for Training Budget of any Reserve Augment Unit resulted in unprecedented levels of exercise participation . Captain Mastagni ’ s sterling service on selection , promotion , and policy boards continues to shape the future of the Naval Reserve . Captain Mastagni ’ s exceptional professionalism , personal initiative , and total dedication to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service . NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL For meritorious service while serving as Commanding Officer of Naval Reserve Naval Station ( NR NAVSTA ) , Rota , Naval Air Station , New Orleans , Louisiana from 1 August 1991 to 31 July 1993 . Through extraordinary leadership , professional knowledge and managerial skills , Commander Mastagni increased unit readiness from R - 3 to R - 1 and molded the personnel into an extremely capable mobilization ready force . His personal efforts were directly responsible for the command increasing personnel 100 percent qualified in - billet rate from 14 . 4 to a record high of 73 . 9 percent , advancement eligibility by 51 percent and overall readiness from 70 to 94 percent , the highest in unit history . Based on his individual adroitness and the unit ’ s sustained superior performance , NR NAVSTA Rota received the Naval Air Station , New Orleans nomination for the Captain Robert I . Barte Award for the most outstanding augment unit in Commander , Naval Air Reserve Force . Commander Mastagni ’ s exceptional professional ability , initiative and loyal dedication to duty reflected credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service . UNIT AWARDS Assignment History . The active duty assignment history of Admuiral Mastagni is as follows : Reserve assignments include : Flag assignments include : Admiral Mastagni transferred to the Retired Naval Reserve in September 2005 .