Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command
Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet
Commander, Combined Maritime Forces

A native of Abilene, Texas, Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox was commissioned in June 1978 upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy and was designated a naval aviator in March 1980.

Since 1990, Fox has spent the majority of his operational career deploying to and operating in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. U.S. Naval Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet / Combined Maritime Forces is Fox’s fourth command tour in the region.

He previously commanded Strike Fighter Squadron 81 aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Carrier Air Wing 2 aboard USS Constellation (CV-64), and Carrier Strike Group 10 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). Additionally, he served as Communications Division Chief and spokesman for the Multi-National Force -- Iraq (MNF-I) in Baghdad from 2006-2007, where he worked extensively with coalition partners.

Other command and executive leadership assignments include service as Commander, Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, NV; Deputy Assistant to the President and Director, White House Military Office (WHMO), responsible for overseeing all military support to the President; Commodore of Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet in Lemoore, CA; and service as the first commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 122, the Navy's first FA-18E/F Super Hornet squadron, in Lemoore, CA.

Shore tours include duty as the deputy director of WHMO; service as Aviation Programs Liaison officer in the Navy's Office of Legislative Affairs, Washington, D.C.; joint duty as Maritime Plans officer, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Casteau, Belgium; aide and flag lieutenant for Commander, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and the assistant Chief of Naval Operations (Air Warfare - OP-05); a tour as the Light Attack/Strike Fighter Junior Officer detailer in the Naval Military Personnel Command and as an A-7E Corsair II instructor pilot in Attack Squadron 174.

Fox has flown over 100 combat sorties, logged over 4,900 flight hours and 1,347 arrested landings on 15 different aircraft carriers.

Military awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star; Legion of Merit with two gold stars, and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat 'V'. He has completed executive education programs at the Naval War College, National Defense University, Harvard University, and UNC Chapel Hill.