Lieutenant Commander Craig Gilkey
Officer In Charge
LCDR Craig M. Gilkey enlisted in the Navy in June 1993. From 1993 to 1999, he was assigned duty as a field hospital corpsman with various Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) commands, to include 7th Engineering Support Battalion and the 15th MEU. In 1997, he deployed on a WESTERN PACIFIC deployment in support of OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH with the 15th MEU. Upon completion of a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University in 2004, he was commissioned via the Enlisted Commissioning Program (ECP) as a Surface Warfare Officer (IP Option).
He has served in several operational tours since commissioning. From 2004 until 2006, he served on the USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) as the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer, deploying as part of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM with the USS Theodore Roosevelt CARRIER STRIKE GROUP. In 2010, he served as the Strategy & Policy Engagement Officer on the U.S. FORCES IRAQ (USF-I) J6 FWD Staff at FOB UNION III in Baghdad, Iraq in support of OPERATION NEW DAWN. In 2012, he was assigned to COMMANDER DESTROYER SQUADRON 28 as the Staff N6, completing various underway workups as part of COMCARSTRKGRU EIGHT. From 2014 until 2016, he served as the COMCARSTRKGRU TWO N61/Flag Communications Officer, deploying to C5F and providing communications support for CTF-50 units involved in OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE.
He has also served in various shore assignments as an Information Professional Officer, to include U.S. FLEET FORCES COMMAND Staff, COMMANDER SECOND FLEET (C2F) Staff, COMNAVIFOR and NAVNETWARCOM. He completed a master’s degree at Naval Postgraduate School in 2008.
His awards include: Joint Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medals, Navy Achievement Medal, and various campaign and service medals.