Admiral Mullen to Replace Peter Pace As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has decided to replace Joint Chiefs Chairman General Peter Pace with Admiral Mike Mullen. Gates wanted to renominate General Pace and Vice Chairman Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., but members of the Senate Armed Services Committee told Gates that confirmation would be a "backward looking and very contentious process" should that happen.

Wikipedia bio:

Admiral Michael G. Mullen (born October 4, 1946) became the 28th Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, relieving Admiral Vern Clark on 22 July 2005. He served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations under Clark, and as the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe & Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples.

A 1968 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Mullen has served in a wide range of assignments at sea and ashore, in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Fleets.

He has commanded three ships, Noxubee (AOG-56), Goldsborough (DDG-20), and Yorktown (CG-48); and has also commanded Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two and the George Washington Battle Group. Mullen’s last command at sea was as Commander, U.S. Second Fleet/Commander, Striking Fleet Atlantic.

Mullen’s shore assignments include duty on the staffs of the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Naval Operations. He has served as Director of Surface Warfare and he was the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 2003 to 2004.

In 1985, Mullen graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School with a Master's of Science degree in Operations Research, and in 1991, he completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

As Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Mullen had operational responsibility for NATO missions in the Balkans, Iraq, and the Mediterranean. As Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, he was responsible for providing overall command, operational control, and coordination of U.S. naval forces in the European Command area of responsibility. He assumed these duties on 8 October 2004 and was relieved of them upon his becoming Chief of Naval Operations.

Links to Mullen's speeches and interviews.