Timothy J . Keating Timothy J . Keating , is a retired United States Navy admiral . During his career he served as commander of Carrier Group Five , the U . S . 5th Fleet , the U . S . Northern Command and NORAD , and U . S . Pacific Command . He retired in 2009 after over 38 years of service . He was the first Navy officer to head Northern Command and NORAD . Keating was born on November 16 , 1948 in Dayton , Ohio . He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1971 . Following duty aboard in the western Pacific , he completed flight training in August 1973 and was designated as a Naval Aviator . He then served in Attack Squadron 82 ( VA - 82 ) , flying the A - 7 Corsair II , deploying twice to the Mediterranean Sea aboard . In September 1978 , he joined Attack Squadron 122 ( VA - 122 ) at NAS Lemoore , California , and later served with Carrier Air Wing FIFTEEN ( CVW - 15 ) as Staff Landing Signal Officer , embarking aboard and deploying to the Western Pacific / Indian Ocean . From May 1982 to July 1984 , as Administrative Officer , Operations Officer and Maintenance Officer of Attack Squadron 94 ( VA - 94 ) , he deployed twice to the Western Pacific aboard . His next assignment was Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander in Chief , U . S . Pacific Command . In May 1987 , after having transitioned to the F / A - 18 Hornet and previously serving as squadron executive office , Keating assumed command of Strike Fighter Squadron 87 ( VFA - 87 ) and deployed with Carrier Air Wing EIGHT ( CVW - 8 ) aboard to the North Atlantic and to the Mediterranean . After his tour with VFA - 87 , he served as Head of the Aviation Junior Officer Assignments Branch of the Naval Military Personnel Command in Washington , D . C . . He next served as Deputy Commander , Carrier Air Wing SEVENTEN ( CVW - 17 ) in January 1991 , participating in combat operations in support of Operation Desert Storm from . Keating then became a Chief of Naval Operations Fellow with the Strategic Studies Group in Newport , Rhode Island . Following duty with the Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , he deployed as Deputy Commander , Carrier Air Wing NINE ( CVW - 9 ) aboard to the Persian Gulf , assuming command of CVW - 9 in July 1993 . In November 1994 , Admiral Keating became Commander of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon , Nevada . Admiral Keating returned to the Naval Military Personnel Command in September 1995 as Director , Aviation Officer Distribution Division ( Pers 43 ) . He then served as the Deputy Director for Operations ( Current Operations / J33 ) , with the Operations Directorate of the Joint Staff ( JS J - 3 ) in Washington , D . C . , from August 1996 until June 1998 . He assumed command of Carrier Group Five , home ported in Yokosuka , Japan , in June 1998 , embarking aboard both and . In September 2000 , Admiral Keating reported to OPNAV in Washington as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans , Policy and Operations ( N3 / N5 ) . In February 2002 , he assumed command of U . S . Naval Forces Central Command and U . S . Fifth Fleet in Manama , Bahrain . From October 13 , 2003 to October 21 , 2004 , Admiral Keating served as the Director , Joint Staff . Admiral Keating commanded of U . S . Northern Command ( USNORTHCOM ) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) from 5 November 2004 to 23 March 2007 . Keating became Commander , U . S . Pacific Command ( USPACOM ) on 26 March 2007 . He served as ComPac until 19 October 2009 , just before his retirement . Awards and decorations . His awards include : He also has over 5 , 000 flight hours and 1 , 200 arrested landings .