Mark E. Ferguson III

Mark E. Ferguson III (born October 30, 1956) is a retired United States Navy admiral who last served as Commander, United States Naval Forces Europe, United States Naval Forces Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples.[2] Ferguson previously served as the 37th Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 22, 2011 to July 1, 2014. Prior to that, he served as the 55th Chief of Naval Personnel and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education). He also served as chief of legislative affairs and assistant commander for distribution, Navy Personnel Command. He retired from active duty on July 1, 2016.[1]

Mark E. Ferguson III
Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III, USN
Born (1956-10-30) October 30, 1956
Newfoundland, Canada[1]
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1978–2016
RankAdmiral
Commands heldUnited States Naval Forces Europe
Allied Joint Force Command Naples
Vice Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Personnel
Destroyer Squadron 18
USS Benfold (DDG-65)
Battles/warsGulf War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3)

Ferguson entered the United States Naval Academy from Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the Class of 1978. He graduated tenth in his class, earning a bachelor's degree in systems engineering and the N* as a member of the lacrosse team.[3][4]

Following graduation, Ferguson attended nuclear power school at Orlando, Florida, and nuclear prototype training in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Following completion of surface warfare officer's school in Newport, Rhode Island, he was assigned to the USS South Carolina (CGN-37), serving on board from 1980 to 1983.[5]

Ferguson reported to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and completed his master's degree in computer science. Following department head school, he reported in 1985 to the USS Fife (DD-991) as operations officer.[5] From 1987 to 1989, he was assigned to the Bureau of Personnel in Washington, D.C., as an assignment officer.[5]

From 1989 to 1992, he served as the reactor officer on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). During his tour, the ship participated in Operation Desert Storm and deployed to the United States European Command area of operations.[5] Following this tour, he reported to the Department of the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs in Washington, D.C., as the officer responsible for readiness and surface warfare programs.[5]

Ferguson was designated the first commanding officer of USS Benfold (DDG-65) and reported in 1995 to Pascagoula, Mississippi, with the pre-commissioning crew.[5] On March 30, 1996 the USS Benfold was commissioned in San Diego, California. During Ferguson's command tour, the ship was awarded multiple department awards, and subsequently, the Battle 'E' and the Spokane Trophy for the readiness cycle. In his article "Retention Through Redemption" in Harvard Business Review and subsequent book It's Your Ship, author D. Michael Abrashoff criticized his predecessor in USS Benfold.[6][7] Although his name was not explicitly mentioned, it was implied the person was Ferguson.[5]

In June 1997, Ferguson entered the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a National Security Fellow. In August 1998, he reported to the staff of Supreme Allied Commander, Europe in Mons, Belgium, as a special assistant to the SACEUR. During this tour, he participated in Operation Allied Force, the NATO Air Campaign in the Balkans.[8][5]

Upon returning from overseas, Ferguson reported as the commander of Destroyer Squadron 18 based in Norfolk, Virginia, as part of the USS Enterprise Strike Group. On September 11, he was commander of Task Force 60 in the Mediterranean.[5] In October, he returned to the navy's Office of Legislative Affairs as the director of the Senate Liaison Office. In 2003, he was selected for flag rank and reported as the assistant commander for distribution (PERS-4) at the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee.[5] In 2005, he was ordered to be the navy's chief of legislative affairs in Washington, D.C., and promoted to rear admiral.[5]

In April 2008, Ferguson was promoted to vice admiral and reported as the navy's Chief of Naval Personnel. During his tour, the navy was the first federal agency to receive the Optimas Award for General Excellence by Workforce Management Magazine for innovative personnel policies.[9] He was recognized for the introduction of flexible work programs such as telework, professional sabbaticals, and professional credentialing for navy work experience.[10][11] He was the personnel policy team leader for the Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with the Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", whose publication led to the repeal of the law,[12][13] and was instrumental in the return of NROTC to Ivy League campuses.[14][15][5]

Ferguson, at right, with Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino in 2012

On August 22, 2011, Ferguson was promoted to admiral and began his term as the 37th Vice Chief of Naval Operations. During this period, he testified before Congress on the impact of sequestration on the readiness of the force.[16][5]

After assuming command of United States Naval Forces Europe in July 2014, Ferguson was quoted on Russian activity in Crimea and in Europe.[17] He spoke at the Atlantic Council in October 2015 regarding Russia, and was cited in the press regarding resurgent Russian Navy and their construction of an 'arc of steel' from the Arctic to the Mediterranean.[18][19][20] During his tenure in command, the navy completed the deployment of four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to Rota, Spain, and activated the AEGIS ballistic missile defense site at the former Devaselu Airbase in Romania.[21][22][5] His tour was marked by a renewed focus on 'high-end' naval operations in the European theater.[23]

Ferguson was recognized for his support of navy personnel and was designated an honorary chief petty officer, recognized by the SEALs as an 'honorary frogman', and named a distinguished graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School.[24] In 2015, he received the Ellis Island Award in New York for his work in innovative personnel policies supporting service members and their families.[25][26][5]

Awards and decorations
Surface Warfare Officer Pin
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal w/ 2 award stars Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit w/ 2 award stars
Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 award stars Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ 1 award star
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 1 oak leaf cluster Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 1 service star
Navy E Ribbon Navy Expeditionary Medal National Defense Service Medal w/ 2 service stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 2 campaign stars Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 4 service stars
Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon NATO Medal for Yugoslavia service Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Allied Joint Force Command Naples

See also

References
  1. Petty, Dan. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". www.navy.mil. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  2. "Adm. Ferguson assumes command of JFC Naples". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  3. "NAVYSPORTS.COM – The Official Web Site of Naval Academy Varsity Athletics". www.navysports.com. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  4. "Records of the United States Naval Academy [USNA]". National Archives. August 15, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  5. U.S. Navy Transcript of Service
  6. Michael., Abrashoff, D. (October 9, 2012). It's your ship : management techniques from the best damn ship in the Navy. ISBN 9781455523023. OCLC 801605273.
  7. "Retention Through Redemption". Harvard Business Review. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  8. K., Clark, Wesley (January 1, 2001). Waging modern war : Bosnia, Kosovo, and the future of combat. Public Affairs. ISBN 158648043X. OCLC 46634192.
  9. Affairs, This story was written by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Kyle P. Malloy, Chief of Naval Operations Public. "Navy Receives OPTIMAS Award for". Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  10. Affairs, This story was written by Susan E. Lester, Naval Education and Training Command Public. "CSFE Recieves [sic] Sloan Award for Business Excellence". Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  11. Affairs, This story was written by Chief of Naval Personnel Public. "Navy Workforce Programs Gain National Recognition in 2010". Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  12. "DoD Report on the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"" (PDF).
  13. "Pentagon Report: Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Can Be Accomplished Successfully, Initiated Immediately". www.dpc.senate.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  14. "Harvard welcomes ROTC back to campus". Boston.com. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  15. "Boots on the Ground: ROTC at Harvard | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  16. "Navy Tells Congress Budget Cuts Hurt Readiness". USNI News. February 12, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  17. Sanger, David E.; Schmitt, Eric (October 25, 2015). "Russian Ships Near Data Cables Are Too Close for U.S. Comfort". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  18. "Remarks as Delivered by Adm. Mark Ferguson at the Atlantic Council". U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa / U.S. 6th Fleet. October 6, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  19. News, Defense. "russia-military-naval-power-shipbuilding-submarine-warships-baltic-mediterranean-black-sea-arctic-syria-estonia-latvia-lithuania-crimea-ukraine". Defense News. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  20. Correspondent, Jim Sciutto, Chief National Security. "Top Navy official: Russian sub activity expands to Cold War level". CNN. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  21. Affairs, This story was written by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public. "USS Carney Joins Other FDNF Ships in Rota, Spain". Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  22. "Navy to commission missile defense base in Romania". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  23. "Under Former Navy Commander, Clarity on Threats in Europe".
  24. "Naval Postgraduate School – Distinguished Alumni". www.nps.edu. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  25. NECO. "NECO Presents the 2015 Ellis Island Medals of Honor on Ellis Island". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  26. "Ellis Island Medals of Honor". www.neco.org. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
Military offices
Preceded by
Jonathan W. Greenert		 Vice Chief of Naval Operations
2011–2014		 Succeeded by
Michelle J. Howard
Preceded by
Bruce W. Clingan		 Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples
2014–2016		 Succeeded by
Michelle J. Howard
Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe
2014–2016
Commander of United States Naval Forces Africa
2014–2016
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