Craig S. Faller
Craig Stephen Faller (born 1961) is a retired United States Navy admiral. A 1983 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a native of Fryburg, Pennsylvania, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering. He earned his master's in national security affairs (strategic planning) from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1990. Faller assumed duty as senior military assistant to the secretary of defense in January 2017. In that position, he served as the principal military advisor and assistant to the secretary of defense. On November 26, 2018, he succeeded Admiral Kurt W. Tidd as  commander of United States Southern Command. Naval career. At sea, Faller served as reactor electrical division officer, electrical officer and reactor training assistant aboard ; operations officer aboard ; station officer aboard , and executive officer of . As commanding officer of , he deployed to the Persian Gulf and participated in maritime interception operations in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq. During his tour as commanding officer of , he assisted victims of the devastating tsunami off Indonesia. Finally, as commander, Carrier Strike Group 3, he deployed to the Middle East supporting Operations New Dawn (Iraq) and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). Ashore, Faller was assigned  to chief of legislative affairs for the Secretary of the Navy; served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Plans, Policy and Operations); served as a legislative fellow on the staff of Senator Edward M. Kennedy; served as head of Surface Nuclear Officer Programs and Placement at Navy Personnel Command and served as executive assistant to the Chief of naval operations. Finally, he served as commander, Navy Recruiting Command; as executive assistant to the commander, United States Pacific Command and commander, United States Central Command; and as Director of Operations, United States Central Command. He retired from active duty on October  29, 2021, relinquishing command of SOUTHCOM to General Laura J. Richardson.