Vice Admiral Fritz Roegge, USN

16th President

Vice Admiral Fritz Roegge is an honors graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. He earned a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Catholic University of America and a Master of Arts with highest distinction in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He was a fellow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI program.

His sea tours include USS Whale (SSN 638), USS Florida (SSBN 728) (Blue), USS Key West (SSN 722) and command of USS Connecticut (SSN 22). His major command was as commodore of Submarine Squadron 22 with additional duty as commanding officer, Naval Support Activity La Maddalena, Italy.

Ashore, he has served on the staffs of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Submarine Force commanders, on the staff of the director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, on the Navy staff in the Assessments Division (N81) and the Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division (N13), in the Secretary of the Navy’s Office of Legislative Affairs at the U. S. House of Representatives, as the head of the Submarine and Nuclear Power Distribution Division (PERS 42) at the Navy Personnel Command, and as an assistant deputy director on the Joint Staff in both the Strategy and Policy (J5) and the Regional Operations (J33) Directorates.

Roegge completed his first flag officer assignment as the deputy commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike at U.S. Strategic Command. He then served concurrently as commander, Submarine Group 8; commander submarines, Allied Naval Forces South; deputy commander, U.S. 6th Fleet; and director of operations and intelligence (N3), U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. As a Rear Admiral (Upper Half), he served on the Navy Staff as director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division (N13) with a concurrent period as director, Total Force Manpower Division (N12) and then as Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

VADM Roegge assumed duties as the 16th President of the National Defense University (NDU) on 25 September 2017. NDU is the University of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the premier Joint Professional Military Education institution in the Department of Defense. NDU’s mission is to develop joint warfighters and other national security leaders through rigorous academics, research and engagement to serve the common defense. The University, through its five component colleges offers graduate-level degrees and certifications to over 2,000 U.S. military officers, civilian government officials, international military officers and industry partners annually.