U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet Holds Change of Command

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Souvannason | Official U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. Tenth Fleet logo graphic.  

FORT MEADE, MD, UNITED STATES

06.18.2018

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Souvannason 

U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. 10th Fleet

FORT GEORGE G. MEAD, Md. (NNS) – Vice Adm. Timothy J. White relieved Vice Adm. Mike Gilday, as commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F), during a change of command ceremony held June 18 on the fleet operations center watch floor at FCC/C10F Headquarters.

White, who most recently served as the commander of the Cyber National Mission Force at U.S. Cyber Command, takes the reins of FCC/C10F from Gilday, who will assume duties as the director for operations, J-3, for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

General Paul Nakasone, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency was the ceremony's guest speaker and presiding officer. He presented Gilday with the Distinguished Service Medal and commended his exceptional work and leadership while in command.

During his comments, Gilday lauded the exceptional work of the men and women of Fleet Cyber Command.

“These past 23 months have truly been a dream come true,” Gilday said. “Only in the U.S. military could a Destroyerman, a Black Shoe, be so fortunate. I have been fascinated with our mission – signals intelligence, satellites, global telecommunications, networks, cyber – but it has been all of you, who work so hard, pouring everything into our mission., that makes Fleet Cyber truly a special command.”

Gilday also expressed his confidence in White becoming the next commander of FCC/C10F.

“When people describe the kind of shipmate they want by their side in combat, they’re describing Tim [Adm. White],” said Gilday. “A great naval officer, and we are lucky to have him here.”

White is now the fifth flag officer selected to command the Navy’s newest Fleet, which reports directly to the Chief of Naval Operations as an Echelon II command and is responsible for Navy information network operations, offensive and defensive cyberspace operations, space operations and signals intelligence. As such, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command serves as the Navy component command to U.S. Cyber Command, the Navy space component to U.S. Strategic Command, and the Navy’s Service Cryptologic Component Commander under the National Security Agency/Central Security Service.

During his remarks, White connected the history of the original 10th Fleet with the challenges faced by today’s 10th Fleet. Upon its establishment in 1943, Tenth Fleet was a clearing house for everything involving Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW).

“10th Fleet’s success has always been a result of integrating extraordinary intelligence, cryptology and operations,” White said. “The original 10th Fleet was less about protecting convoys from U-Boat attacks and more about going on the offensive and sinking U-Boats. In much the same way, we must and will embrace the notion of distributed lethality and embrace a ‘scene of action commander’ mindset.”

Originally designated as a surface warfare officer, White is a 1987 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and has served in a diverse range of Navy and Joint assignments at sea and ashore. His command tours include Naval Security Group Activity Bahrain and Navy Information Operations Command Maryland. As a flag officer, he has served as deputy director, Tailored Access Operations, NSA and as director for intelligence, J2, U.S. Pacific Command.

Since its establishment, FCC/C10F has grown into an operational force composed of more than 16,000 Active and Reserve Sailors and civilians organized into 26 active commands, 40 Cyber Mission Force units, and 26 reserve commands around the globe. C10F, the operational arm of FCC, executes its mission through a task force structure similar to other warfare commanders. In this role, C10F provides support of Navy and joint missions in cyber/networks, cryptologic/signals intelligence and space.

For more news and information from Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. 10th Fleet, visit http://www.public.navy.mil/fcc-c10f/, https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/USFCC, or follow us on Twitter @USFLEETCYBERCOM.

• Date Taken: 06.18.2018
• Date Posted: 06.18.2018 16:23
• Story ID: 281399
• Location: FORT MEADE, MD, US