James R . Stark James R . Stark ( b . ca . 1943 ) is a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy who served during the Cold War and in the Vietnam War and oversaw operations related to the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s . A surface warfare officer , his career included command of ships at sea , senior U . S . Navy and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) commands , staff assignments with the Chief of Naval Operations and the National Security Council , and a tour as President of the Naval War College . Naval career . Stark was born in Arlington , Virginia . He graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science degree . His initial tour was a short one aboard the destroyer , after which he attended the University of Vienna in Vienna , Austria , for one year as a Fulbright Scholar from 1965 to 1966 . After returning to the United States , Stark went back to sea , serving as Combat Information Center officer aboard the destroyer leader . He then was weapons officer first aboard the destroyer and then aboard the destroyer and deployed to Southeast Asia aboard both ships for service in the Vietnam War . In 1970 , Stark began graduate studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University , from which he received two Master ' s Degrees and a doctorate in political science in 1973 . He then returned to sea duty as executive officer of the destroyer , followed by a tour as executive officer of the guided - missile cruiser . He was commanding officer of the guided - missile frigate from 1981 to 1983 and of the guided - missile cruiser from 18 July 1987 to 31 October 1989 . In Washington , D . C . , Stark had assignments on the Navy Staff , on the National Security Council staff , and as Executive Director of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel . He was selected in December 1991 for promotion to rear admiral ( lower half ) , and was commander of the United States Pacific Fleet Training Command from June 1992 to March 1994 . He assumed command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization s Standing Naval Force Atlantic on 14 April 1994 , and during that tour directed its operations in support of the United Nations embargo of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars . He was selected for promotion to rear admiral in December 1994 . On 29 June 1995 , Stark became the 47th President of the Naval War College in Newport , Rhode Island . During his presidency , he reorganized the curriculum of the College of Continuing Education to allow officers to complete the course in a single shore tour , oversaw the construction of McCarty - Little Hall , began the colleges planning for a new library and administration building , and incorporated the Naval Warfare Development Center into the colleges operations . Stark retired from the Navy after 33 years of service upon the conclusion of his college presidency on 24 July 1998 . Decorations and awards . During his career , Stark received the Defense Superior Service Medal , three awards of the Legion of Merit , three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal , and two awards of the Navy Commendation Medal , as well as various campaign and service awards . Personal life . Stark is married to the former Roswitha Stari . They have a son and a daughter . Retirement . In retirement , Stark worked in London , England , for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for nearly seven years as Vice President for European Marketing . He then became an independent consultant as a member of The Spectrum Group . He also has served as a senior advisor to the CNA Financial Corporation .