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Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen (born 4 October 1946) is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2007 to September 2011.
Mullen was the 32nd vice chief of naval operations from August 2003 to August 2004. He then was the commander of both the United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa and the Allied Joint Force Command Naples from October 2004 to May 2005. From July 2005 to September 2007, Mullen served as the Navy's 28th chief of naval operations.
As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mullen was the highest-ranking officer in the United States Armed Forces and diversified the top ranks of the Pentagon. He retired from the Navy after over 42 years of service. Since 2012, Mullen has been a visiting professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
Along with his congeniality, he displayed fine leadership qualities. With his well rounded personality, his enthusiasm, and his desire to do his best, Navy-Air is indeed getting an outstanding officer. -- 1968 Lucky Bag, USNA college yearbook
In 1985, Mullen graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, with a Master of Science degree in Operations Research, and in 1991, he attended the six-week Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Mullen served as Company Officer and Executive Assistant to the Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. He also served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel as Director, Chief of Planning and Provisions, Surface Officer Distribution and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the staff of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. On the Chief of Naval Operations' staff, Mullen served as Deputy Director and Director of Surface Warfare and as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements, and Assessments (N8). He was the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 2003 to October 2004.
Mullen was recognized by his peers in 1987 with the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership skill. "Officers Honored With Prestigious Stockdale Award", U.S. Navy official website, November 15, 2006
As Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Mullen had operational responsibility for NATO missions in the Balkans, Iraq, and the Mediterranean. As Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, he was responsible for providing overall command, operational control, and coordination of U.S. naval forces in the European Command area of responsibility. He assumed these duties on October 8, 2004, and was relieved of them upon his becoming Chief of Naval Operations.
On October 29, 2006, the Honolulu Advertiser published an op-ed by Mullen that defined the concept of the 1,000-ship navy. However Admiral Gary Roughead, Mullen's successor as Chief of Naval Operations, rejected Mullen's concept in favor of a more inclusive vision that includes non-governmental organizations and cooperation with non-allied countries.Clark, Colin Land Forces Will Fade, Navy Rise DOD Buzz, October 13, 2010
On 3 August 2007, the United States Senate confirmed Mullen as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mullen was sworn in on October 1, 2007. Upon taking office, Mullen became the first naval officer to hold the Chairman's position since Admiral William J. Crowe, who served as Chairman prior to the enactment of the Goldwater-Nichols Act in 1986, and who was the immediate predecessor to Army general and later United States Secretary of State Colin Powell.
During his tenure, he was responsible for the appointment of multiple African-American officers to the highest ranks of the military, including the appointment of General Lloyd Austin, now the first black secretary of defense, as Director of the Joint Staff.
On 18 March 2009, Gates recommended to President Barack Obama that Mullen be re-nominated for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on 25 September 2009 and began his second term on 1 October 2009.
On 2 February 2010, Mullen and Gates said that they fully supported President Obama's decision to end the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, which prevented openly gay people from serving in the military. "It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do," Mullen said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. "No matter how I look at the issue...I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, it comes down to integrity—theirs as individuals and ours as an institution".
Regarding the length and scope of the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Mullen told the Senate that while he does not envision permanent U.S. bases in Iraq, "vital interests in the region and in Iraq require a pragmatic, long-term commitment that will be measured in years, not months".
Mullen outlined three principles about the "proper use of modern military forces":
During the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, President Trump threatened to order federal troops to quell protests; in opposition, Mullen authored an article published in The Atlantic. Mullen stated, "I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes".
In December 2012, one year into his retirement, Mullen was in the news again, for having been the target of computer hacking, a situation that led to subsequent FBI investigations. Hackers Hit Ex-Military Head December 5, 2012 In 2013, Mullen joined the board of General Motors.
On 11 July 2013, Mullen joined the board of directors of Sprint Nextel Corp directly after a buyout from SoftBank, one of Japan's largest cellular companies. In 2016, Mullen joined the Advisory Board of Afiniti, an American unicorn big data and artificial intelligence business. In September 2023, Mullen became chairman of the board of directors of unmanned maritime tech company Saildrone to "help steer the company to address the nation’s defense needs, against rapidly evolving adversaries."
Mullen was vetted by Michael Bloomberg to be his running mate in the 2016 presidential election, but Bloomberg decided against running.
In an interview with ABC News on 31 December 2017, Mullen stated his belief that the United States was close to a nuclear war with North Korea.
On 22 May 2024, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that DDG 144, a Flight III , would be named in his honor.
In 2010, Mullen was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia.
An auditorium was dedicated in his name 1 March 2012, before a graduation ceremony at the Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, Rhode Island.
In 2024, the was named after him due to him being a, "visionary leader in the mold of the greatest naval leaders that came before".
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Debt
In 2010, Mullen said, "The most significant threat to our national security is our debt".
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
President Obama, United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Admiral Mullen provided the certification required by the Act to Congress on 22 July 2011. Implementation of repeal was completed 60 days later, so that DADT was no longer policy as of 20 September 2011.
Views on use of military force
In a speech at Kansas State University,Mullen, Mike. Landon Lecture Series Remarks , March 3, 2010, Kansas State University. Mullen outlined his views about the best application of military force in present times. He characterized most wars, such as World War II, as wars of attrition, where the reduction or elimination of enemy forces signaled victory. He characterized the Cold War as an issue of containment. In characterizing the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he described them as "a fight against a syndicate of Islamic extremists led by al-Qaeda and supported by a host of both state and non-state actors", citing the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan as their "epicenter".
Retirement
President Obama nominated General Martin Dempsey as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Memorial Day 2011. Dempsey had only been sworn in as army chief of staff the previous month. On 30 September 2011, Mullen officially retired from the military when his term as chairman ended.
Dates of rank
Military awards
United States military decorations
Notes Defense Distinguished Service Medal| with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Navy Distinguished Service Medal| with one gold award star
Legion of Merit| with one silver award star
with Wreathed Battle E device National Defense Service Medal| with two bronze
Vietnam Service Medal| with one bronze star
Humanitarian Service Medal| with one bronze star
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon| with three bronze stars
Navy Overseas Service Ribbon| with one bronze star
Non-U.S. decorations
Notes For distinguished service to the military relationship between Australia and the US as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US For concern for German soldiers, his role in strengthening the close German-American friendship, and his services to the Federal Republic of Germany
Badges
Description Navy Surface Warfare Badge (Officer) Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Other awards
In 1987, Mullen was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.
In 2009 the U.S. veterans group Soldier On awarded Admiral Mullen the first Soldier On Award, created for them by sculptor Andrew DeVries.Mike Plaisance, The Republican, October 30, 2009 The Soldier On Award recognizes individuals whose leadership and actions have advanced the goal of ending veteran homelessness.
Personal life
Mullen is married to Deborah and together they have two sons, John "JMuls" Mullen and Michael Edward Mullen.
External links
Categories: 1946 Births, Living People, Atlantic Council, Chairmen Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff, Chiefs Of Naval Operations, Honorary Members Of The Order Of Australia, Honorary Officers Of The Order Of Australia, Naval Postgraduate School Alumni, Nominated Members Of Seanad Éireann, Notre Dame High School Alumni, Military Personnel From Los Angeles, Recipients Of The Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Recipients Of The Defense Superior Service Medal, Recipients Of The Humanitarian Service Medal, Recipients Of The Legion Of Merit, Recipients Of The Navy Distinguished Service Medal, United States Naval Academy Alumni, United States Navy Admirals, United States Navy Personnel Of The Vietnam War, Vice Chiefs Of Naval Operations
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