Leadership Profile: Admiral Mike Mullen

In a short time, the military leadership at the highest levels in the United States will change--Admiral Mike Mullen will take the reigns from General Peter Pace as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Having previously served on the Joint Chiefs as Chief of Naval Operations--the highest rank for a naval officer--Admiral Mullen is no stranger to responsibility and pressure.His career started at the US Naval Academy, where he graduated in 1968 (some of his classmates include Oliver North and Senator Jim Webb). After serving in various roles as a surface warfare officer, Mullen assumed command of the gasoline tanker USS Noxubee, the guided missile destroyer USS Goldsborough, and the guided missile cruiser USS Yorktown.

After assuming the rank of Admiral, Mullen took command in some high-visibility billets, including Allied Joint Forces Command Naples, and command of US Naval Forces Europe. He currently serves as the Chief of Naval Operations, awaiting confirmation from the Senate to become the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president's top military advisor. Admiral Mullen has been serving in the active duty Navy for over 39 years.

What serves Admiral Mullen best is his calm demeanor and level-headedness. After being grilled constantly, for over three hours, by the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mullen kept his cool and delivered honest, thoughtful, and candid answers. He was commended for this virtue by nearly every Senator on the committee, regardless of party affiliation.

Recently speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mullen remarked, "Whatever our tasking may be in the future, we are obliged to the American people to defend them and their interests, to make sure we are ready in every way, across every military mission, to do their bidding. We must be able to win both wars and the peace that follows."

Few men ever get to serve in as prestigious a role as Admiral Mullen; yet there can hardly be a better man for the job.

Mullen on Leadership:
"Today the Navy grants me yet another great opportunity, and I intend to make good on my obligation in return. Listen. Learn. And lead. Those will be my watchwords these next four years — a challenge to myself and to all of you."