John Dickson Stufflebeem

John Dickson "Boomer" Stufflebeem is an American retired military officer who served in the United States Navy as a two-star rear admiral and Director, Navy Staff. Stufflebeem served 39 years in the Navy and is well known for his football career[1] and television briefings from the Pentagon following the attacks of 9/11 and subsequent military operations in Afghanistan.[2] He is the Senior Vice President and founder of the NJS Group, LLC, a company specializing in strategic communications and planning as well as crisis management.[3]

John Dickson Stufflebeem
Stufflebeem in his rear admiral uniform
Nickname(s)Boomer
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1969-2008
RankVice Admiral
Retired as a Rear Admiral
Commands heldDirector, Navy Staff
6th Fleet
Carrier Group Two
Fighter Squadron Eighty-Four
Carrier Air Wing One
AwardsLegion of Merit (4)
Bronze Star
Air Medal (2)

Stufflebeem enlisted in the Navy Reserve in 1969 beginning his service as a deck seaman before being accepted into the United States Naval Academy in 1971. Stufflebeem played on the Naval Academy football team,[4] earning the nickname "Boomer" for his prowess as a punter. He earned All East Coast Athletic Conference and Sports Illustrated honors in 1974 when he led the Navy team to a near upset of Notre Dame in Philadelphia.[5]

He graduated from the academy in 1975. Although undrafted by any NFL team, his first assignment to the Detroit area allowed him to participate in three pre-seasons of professional football with the Detroit Lions [6]

Military career

Stufflebeem was designated a Surface Warfare Officer in 1978 and Naval Aviator in 1980. As a commissioned officer, Stufflebeem served operational tours in a surface combatant, various fighter squadrons and carrier air wing staffs in the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. He commanded Fighter Squadron Eighty-Four and Carrier Air Wing One during combat operations in the Balkans and Persian Gulf and Carrier Group Two/Task Force 60 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stufflebeem has flown over 4,000 hours in a variety of fighter aircraft and has more than 1,000 aircraft carrier landings.[7]

Additionally, Stufflebeem has served in staff assignments including Military Aide to President George H. W. Bush, Deputy Executive Assistant and later, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. His first assignment as a flag officer was Deputy Director for Global Operations (J-3) on the Joint Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom.[7]

On May 20, 2005 at Naval Support Activity Naples, Stufflebeem was promoted to vice admiral and took command of the 6th Fleet, relieving then-Vice Admiral Harry Ulrich. He held this position until September 2007.[8]

Pentagon spokesperson

Following the attacks on the U.S. of September 11, 2001, then Rear Admiral Stufflebeem became the face and voice from the Pentagon of U.S. military operations being conducted in Afghanistan to remove the Taliban from power and rid the country of al Qaeda. For months he provided briefings from The Pentagon to international television and radio media on the prosecution of what was known as Operation Enduring Freedom as most reporters were not in Afghanistan during this time.

NATO

While commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization operational command in Lisbon, Portugal, then Vice Admiral Stufflebeem led the first deployment of NATO Response Force troops out of the European theater to Pakistan.[9][10] This was a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in response to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. Additionally, he supported the African Union Mission in Sudan, the political-military mission to address the problems occurring in Darfur.[11]

Controversy

In December 2007, Stufflebeem assumed the duties of Director, Navy Staff, relieving then-Vice Admiral Mark P. Fitzgerald. Early in 2008, the Department of Defense began an investigation into an allegation that Stufflebeem had an inappropriate relationship while serving as a presidential military aide in 1990.[12] The Navy announced on March 24, 2008 that Stufflebeem was removed as director of the Navy Staff. His removal was directly due to the false and misleading testimony Stufflebeem gave to investigators and in conversations with his seniors on multiple occasions.[13] As a result, Stufflebeem was demoted to a two-star level. In April 2008, the US Navy announced that Stufflebeem had received a written reprimand as a result of non-judicial punishment following the investigation.[14] He subsequently retired from the Navy with the rank of rear admiral.[15]

Awards and recognitions

In 2000 at its annual awards banquet, the NCAA honored Stufflebeem as one of its Silver Anniversary Award Recipients that recognizes up to six nationally distinguished former student-athletes on their 25th anniversary as college graduates.[16][17] In 2003 Bill Belichick (who was the special teams coach of the Detroit Loins in 1976) had Stufflebeem deliver a message to the New England Patriots before a game.[18]

Military awards and decorations

Stufflebeem's military decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (four awards), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and Air Medal (two strike/flight awards).[7]

Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit with three Gold Stars
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal w/ Bronze Numeral "2"
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with one Gold Star
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Navy Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation with two Bronze Stars
Navy "E" Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal with two Bronze Stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with one Bronze Star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one Silver Star and one Bronze Star
Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon w/ one Bronze Star
National Order of the Legion of Honour of France (Knight degree)
Military Merit Medal of the Portuguese Republic (First Class)
NATO Meritorious Service Medal
NATO Medal for ex-Yugoslavia
Inter-American Defense Board Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon w/ Bronze "S"

Foreign awards
  • Chevalier De La Légion D'Honneur (France)
  • Non Article 5 NATO Medal (Pakistan)
  • NATO Meritorious Service Medal
  • Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Devices and badges
  • Naval Aviator Wings
  • Surface Warfare Officer pin
  • Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
  • Presidential Service Badge

References
  1. Wood, Melissa (January 14, 2000). "Glory days 20 years ago, John "Boomer" Stufflebeem turned down a pro football career for the navy. He hasn't regretted it". The Virginian-Pilot. Highbeam. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012.
  2. "DoD News Briefing - Rear Adms. Quigley and Stufflebeem". U.S. Department of Defense. October 19, 2001. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  3. "John Stufflebeem '70 Named Chairman of R-MA Board of Trustees | Randolph-Macon Academy". www.rma.edu. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  4. Jares, Joe (October 9, 1972). "The Week". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. 37 (15). p. 79. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  5. Sports Illustrated, November 11, 1974, Volume 41, No. 20; Street & Smith's College Football 50th Anniversary Issue, Collector's Issue, 1940-1990 All East Team
  6. David Brown (March 30, 2008). "Vice admiral fired over false testimony". NavyTimes.com. Army Times Publishing Company. Retrieved May 10, 2008. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1975, Stufflebeem was a practice-squad punter for the Detroit Lions under a special program that allowed the NFL to carry military players in a reserve status while they are on active duty. The Lions asked Stufflebeem to join them full time, but the aviator opted to fly jets
  7. "U.S. Navy Biographies: Rear Admiral John Dickson Stufflebeem". navy.mil. Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved September 25, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. Jamie McIntyre (May 9, 2008). "Admiral's affair included sex at White House". CNN.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2008. He was commander of the 6th Fleet from May 2005 to September 2007.
  9. "NATO Response Force arrives in Pakistan". NATO. October 25, 2005. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  10. "NATO Response Force in Pakistan". NATO. November 8, 2005. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  11. http://www.jhlb.nato.int/uploads/Documentos/News/Press/News%20Release%200801%20ENG.pdf%5B%5D
  12. "Report No. H08L106050007" (PDF). defense.gov. Department of Defense. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  13. Starr, Barbara (March 24, 2008). "Navy: Former commander fired for lying - CNN.com". edition.cnn.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  14. "U.S. rear admiral given reprimand". The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 22, 2008.
  15. "RADM John Stufflebeem '70 to Speak at R-MA Virtual Graduation | Randolph-Macon Academy". www.rma.edu. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  16. "NCAA Honors Dinner". Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  17. "2000 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Recipients". Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  18. "PATRIOTS BEAT - Admiral offers a sober message". Providence Journal. August 24, 2003.
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