Joseph J. Krol, Rear Admiral, United States Navy (Retired), is the associate administrator for NNSA's Office of Emergency Operations. In this role, he is the director of the Office of Emergency Operations, which is responsible for emergency management policy and execution of emergency management support across the Department of Energy’s complex. Within the National Nuclear Security Administration, he also is responsible for emergency operations, involving nuclear, and radiological emergencies, both within the United States and abroad.

Admiral Krol graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1967, and spent the next 36 years on active duty, retiring on June 1, 2003. He assumed his present position on Jaunary 11, 2004.

Throughout his naval career Admiral Krol had extensive experience in nuclear power and nuclear weapons as a nuclear submarine officer. He served in both nuclear fleet ballistic submarines and nuclear attack submarines. This experience included a wide variety of technical operations in support of complex overhauls of nuclear reactor plants and advanced technical support of nuclear weapons.

Admiral Krol commanded two Los Angeles class nuclear attack submarines and a Nuclear Attack submarine squadron. He also served in senior management positions at Naval Reactors and the Bureau of Naval Personnel.

Upon attaining flag rank, he served in a senior intelligence position at the Pentagon, prior to a three-year tour in Japan, where he was in charge of submarine operations from Hawaii to the Suez Canal, an area that comprised over 40 percent of the world. His final active duty position was in the Pentagon, as both Deputy Director and Acting Director of worldwide operations and plans for the U.S. Navy.

Admiral Krol is the recipient of numerous personal and unit awards as a result of his naval career.