Perry M . Ratliff Perry Michael Ratliff is an officer of the United States Navy and a former Director of Naval Intelligence . Since retiring from active duty with the Navy , he served as Executive Director of the American Civic Literacy Program , and , since 2004 , first as Executive Director and then President of the Jack Miller Center , a non - profit educational foundation ( see below ) . Education . Ratliff graduated from Towson University in 1968 . He was a Fulbright Scholar at the London School of Economics , as well as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University . In 1997 he was a Capstone fellow at the National Defense University . Towson University has honored Rear Admiral Ratliff as both a distinguished graduate and with a Doctor of Letters degree . Initial training . " Mike " Ratliff enlisted in the Naval Reserve while a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University in July 1969 . Upon completion of his study as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow he reported for active duty to Officer Candidate School in Newport , Rhode Island . He was commissioned an ensign and designated an intelligence officer in March 1971 . Tours . His initial operational assignment was on board in the Indian Ocean , $ 3 , and Caribbean . He was subsequently assigned to the Fleet Intelligence Center , US Naval Forces Europe , and then reported to the Navy Field Operational Intelligence Office in Washington , D . C . In June 1977 he returned to sea with Commander , United States Sixth Fleet , on board . In 1979 he reported to the Commander - in - Chief Atlantic as a CINC briefer and team chief . He then was assigned to Monterey for nine months of Japanese language training en route to assignments in the Pacific . Initially he served with Commander United States Forces Japan , and then we he was assigned as N2 , United States Third Fleet on board . Returning to the Atlantic , Commander Ratliff was assigned as Director of Current Intelligence for the United States Atlantic Command . Following a year in the Pentagon on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations , he returned to the Atlantic Command as Special Assistant to the J2 . In August 1992 , upon promotion to the rank of Captain , he was assigned as Commanding Officer , Fleet Ocean Surveillance Information Facility , Rota , Spain . He subsequently returned to Washington D . C . , where he was first Director of Intelligence within the Office of Naval Intelligence and then Executive Assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence . Selected for Rear Admiral ( lower half ) , he returned to the Asia - Pacific region as Director for Intelligence with the Commander - in - Chief , United States Pacific Command . In 1999 he returned to Washington , where he once again served on the Chief of Naval Operations ( CNO ) staff , this time as the 58th Director of Naval Intelligence . Present day . Ratliff is now President of the Jack Miller Center ( JMC ) , located in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , which provides support for university and college professors working to strengthen education in American history and institutions . Awards . Ratliff ' s awards include the Legion of Merit ( 2 awards ) , Defense Meritorious Service Medal , and the Meritorious Service Medal ( 2 awards ) . References . This article contains information from the United States Federal Government as well as other public sources such as Yale University ' s Office of Public Affairs and Communications and is in the public domain .