Rear Admiral John Clarke Orzalli, currently assigned as Naval Sea Systems Command

(NAVSEA) vice commander, is the son of a retired Navy captain. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978. 

 At sea, he served aboard USS Snook (SSN 592) as an engineering division and weapons officer; and as USS Helena’s (SSN 725) engineering officer.  Ashore, Orzalli has served at the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as tours at Naval Shipyards in Mare Island, Puget Sound and Portsmouth.

Orzalli was the forty-fifth shipyard commander at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from 2002 - 2005. During his command tour, he assumed additional duties in establishing the Northwest Regional Maintenance Center.

Following selection to flag rank, Orzalli was the deputy director, Fleet Readiness Division, OPNAV (N43B); commanding officer, Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, then established commander, Regional Maintenance Centers.  Most recently, Orazalli was the director, Fleet Maintenance on the staff of Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

His service decorations include the Legion of Merit (with four stars), the Meritorious Service Medal (with two stars), Navy Commendation Medal (with star), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (with three stars) and various other unit and operational awards.

Orzalli holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering degree from the US Naval Academy, Naval Engineer and Masters of Materials Science and Engineering degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Science in Systems Management from Golden Gate University.