Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Kyle Carlstrom | SAN DIEGO (Nov. 5. 2022) - Rear Adm. Paula Dunn, Vice Chief of Information, is piped...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO (Oct. 13, 2023) – U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Paula Dunn, the 11th U.S. Navy Vice Chief of Information (VCI), retired from military service during a ceremony aboard the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, Oct. 13, ending a career spanning more than 30 years.
Vice Adm. John Mustin, Chief of Navy Reserve, presided over the ceremony that hosted more than 100 Navy officials and guests.
“A retirement ceremony doesn’t truly mark the end of one’s service, and I know that it won’t, certainly, for Paula, who’s got plenty of gas in the tank, and is going to continue to make a mark on this great world,” said Mustin. “But it does represent a transition, a passing of a baton to a new generation of leaders who will carry forward the torch of progress.”
Dunn is the first woman to serve as the Navy’s top reserve public affairs officer in the 73-year history of the role. She led the global force of nearly 500 Navy Reserve public affairs officers and enlisted mass communication specialists.
“Joining the Navy was the most consequential decision of my life,” said Dunn. “In my youth, the Navy taught me resilience, leadership, and the tenacity to succeed in any arena. But more than that, I was given the opportunity to serve. I am very proud to be part of an organization dedicated to providing a safer and more secure nation for future Americans.”
During her historic four year tenure from October 2019 through September of 2023, Dunn led through a period of unprecedented internal and external challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, five Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) transitions, and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)-directed transformation of the entire 59,000 person Navy Reserve organization.
Responsible for the critical undertaking of adapting her worldwide force to align with the National Defense Strategy, Dunn orchestrated the largest transformation of the Navy Reserve public affairs force in nearly two decades. Realigning resources and leadership roles impacting 12 Navy Reserve units and more than 120 positions and shifting focus to the Navy’s fleets, she ushered the conversion of the Navy Reserve public affairs force from a post-9/11 response force to one poised to deliver warfighting readiness for a rapidly evolving future operating environment.
As VCI she started an aggressive recruiting and retention campaign to mitigate historic recruiting challenges and raised both officer and enlisted manning from 88% to 97% during a period when most other military communities were declining.
“Leading the men and women of the elite Navy Reserve Public affairs force has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said Dunn. “This remarkable team includes Emmy award-winning producers, social media executives, broadcast journalists, professors, members of the national media, world-class photographers and videographers, and CEOs. I will forever be grateful that these high-caliber professionals chose to serve their nation and dedicate their time, skills, and expertise to the U.S. Navy.”
Prior to her promotion to Rear Admiral and final post as the Navy’s VCI, Dunn served as a Special Assistant for Public Affairs to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Over the course of her 30-year career, Dunn deployed in support of missions around the world. Notable senior public affairs leadership deployments included Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula in Iraq; Operation Nomad Shadow in Ankara, Turkey; Exercise Talisman Saber in Rockhampton, Australia; Joint Investigation Group for the sinking of South Korean frigate Cheonan in Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea; Operation Tomodachi following the major earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan; and, two crisis missions countering aggression in the Arabian Sea.
“You have earned not only my respect, but the respect of a grateful nation,” said Mustin. “It is my distinct honor and privilege to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on this momentous occasion. From your first days on the CHINFO News Desk, to being forward-deployed in Iraq, to leading the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Communication, you have shined like a beacon for your team and the public affairs enterprise, nearly five hundred reserve sailors and countless active duty sailors across our great Navy.”
Dunn is the first VCI to hold Accreditation in Public Relations + Military Communication (APR+M) through the Public Relations Society of America, and the first to be fully joint qualified (JQO), a military credential earned through a combination of education and experience intended to prepare officers for unified action at the operational and strategic levels.
Dunn’s advanced education includes a Master of Arts in Communication Arts from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Texas.
Dunn is a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is also a graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia.
Dunn is a native of Marine City, Mich. and a 1987 graduate of Holy Cross High School. She is a 1993 graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Her mother, Marilynn Dunn lives in Algonac and her sister Marilynn (Dunn) Biland and brother, Patrick Dunn live in Marine City. Dunn and her husband, Forrest Knowlton live in San Diego, California.
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2023 20:47 |
| Story ID: | 455787 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Hometown: | MARINE CITY, MI, US |
| Web Views: | 424 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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