Meet Jesse Wilson, Jr
Honorable Board Director
Jesse Wilson, Jr.
Honorable Board Director
Rear Admiral Jesse Wilson, Jr. is a native of California, Maryland, and the son of a retired Navy master chief petty officer. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy in 1986. He also attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, earning a Master of Science in Operations Research in 1991 and is a graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, where he received a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies in 2001.
At sea, he has served as main propulsion assistant and combat information center officer in USS Reasoner (FF 1063); engineer officer aboard USS Antrim (FFG 20); space examiner in the gas turbine branch of commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet’s Propulsion Examining Board; and executive officer of USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62). As commanding officer of USS Higgins (DDG 76), he led Higgins during six-month Western Pacific deployment with the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. During his major command tour, he served as sea combat commander for the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group during the 2009-2010 Western Pacific deployment and while in command of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23 he also served as the mission commander for Pacific Partnership 2011, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet’s annual humanitarian and civil assistance mission to Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Ashore, Wilson has served at the U.S. Naval Academy as the 27th company officer; as a joint warfighting analyst on the Joint Staff, J8-Force Application Assessment Division; campaign analyst Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) N81 Assessment Division; deputy executive assistant to two chiefs of naval operations; interim deputy director of the 21st Century Sailor Office; executive assistant to the chief of naval operations and as the director, Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization, Joint Staff, J8 during his first flag officer assignment. Wilson most recently commanded, Carrier Strike Group 10, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group during a combat deployment leading them during Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Odyssey Resolve and Operation Oaken Steel in the Arabian Gulf and eastern Mediterranean Sea during spring/summer 2016. He also served as the director, Assessments Division (N81) on the OPNAV Staff. Wilson is currently assigned as the commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic. He assumed those duties July 14, 2017.
Additionally, Wilson is a 2007-2008 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow and is a graduate of the Navy Corporate Business Course at University of Virginia-Darden. His personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with four gold stars, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with four gold stars, Joint Service Achievement Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal with one gold star.