Joseph P. Aucoin

Vice Admiral Aucoin graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and received his commission through the University of North Carolina Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program in 1980. He was designated a naval flight officer in 1981 and reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) for initial training in the F-14 Tomcat.

He has served in five different Fleet and Fleet Replacement Squadron F-14 fighter squadrons, to include command of VF-41. He has also commanded Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), Carrier Strike Group Three (CSG-3), and was Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems before taking command of U.S. 7th Fleet.

He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" and Bronze Stars. He is also an Arthur S. Moreau Scholar and holds master's degrees in Public Administration from Harvard University and in National Security Studies and Strategic Affairs from the Naval War College.

Speaking at West 2017 Conference in February 2017, Aucoin stated, "If there's a fight tonight, it's probably going to happen on the Korean Peninsula."

Following a collision between the Seventh Fleet destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) and an oil tanker, the second such collision that resulted in fatalities in two months, Aucoin was relieved of his command on August 23, 2017, by Admiral Scott Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet due to "loss of confidence in his ability to command."