Timothy J. Keating, is a retired United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 admiral

Admiral (United States)

In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...

. During his career he served as commander of Carrier Group Five, the U.S. 5th Fleet, the U.S. Northern Command

United States Northern Command

United States Northern Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military. Created on 1 October 2002 in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks, its mission is to protect the United States homeland and support local, state, and federal authorities...

 and NORAD

North American Aerospace Defense Command

North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...

, and U.S. Pacific Command

United States Pacific Command

The United States Pacific Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States armed forces responsible for the Pacific Ocean area. It is led by the Commander, Pacific Command , who is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving...

. He retired in 2009 after over 38 years of service. He was the first Navy officer to head Northern Command and NORAD.

Keating was born on November 16, 1948 in Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 in 1971. Following duty aboard in the western Pacific, he completed flight training in August 1973. He then served in VA-82, deploying twice to the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 aboard .

In September 1978, he joined VA-122

VFA-122

Strike Fighter Squadron 122 , also known as the "Flying Eagles", are a United States Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F/A-18 Hornet A/B/C/D Fleet Replacement Squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore.-History:...

, NAS Lemoore, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. and later served with Carrier Air Wing Fifteen as Staff Landing Signal Officer, deploying to the western Pacific/Indian Ocean aboard .

From May 1982 to July 1984, as Administrative Officer, Operations Officer and Maintenance Officer of VA-94

VFA-94

Strike Fighter Squadron 94 , also known as the "Mighty Shrikes", are a United States Navy F/A-18C Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore. Currently a land-based "Unit Deployment Program" squadron, they deploy with no tail code assigned...

, he deployed twice to the western Pacific aboard . His next assignment was Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command.

In May 1987, Keating assumed command of VFA-87

VFA-87

The Strike Fighter Squadron 87 is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana. Nicknamed the Golden Warriors, its call sign is War Party , its tail code is AJ, and it flies the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet...

 and deployed with CVW-8 aboard to the North Atlantic and to the Mediterranean. After his tour with VFA-87, he served as Head of the Aviation Junior Officer Assignments Branch of the Naval Military Personnel Command in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

. He next served as Deputy Commander, Carrier Air Wing Seventeen in January 1991, participating in combat operations in support of Operation Desert Storm from .

Keating then became a Chief of Naval Operations Fellow with the Strategic Studies Group

Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group

The Chief of Naval 0perations Strategic Studies Group was established by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Thomas B. Hayward in 1981. The Group is co-located at the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, but receives its direction and makes its reports only to the Chief of...

 in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

. Following duty with the Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in Riyadh

Riyadh

Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...

, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, he deployed as Deputy Commander, Carrier Air Wing Nine aboard to the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

. He assumed command of CVW-9 in July 1993. In November 1994, Admiral Keating became Commander of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center

Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center

The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station Fallon located in the city of Fallon in western Nevada is the center of excellence for naval aviation training and tactics development...

 at NAS Fallon, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

.
Admiral Keating returned to the Naval Military Personnel Command in September 1995 as Director, Aviation Officer Distribution Division. He served as the Deputy Director for Operations (Current Operations/J33), Operations Directorate, the Joint Staff, Washington, from August 1996 until June 1998. He assumed command of Carrier Group Five, home ported in Yokosuka, Japan, in June 1998. In September 2000, Admiral Keating reported to OPNAV in Washington as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

 for Plans, Policy and Operations (N3/N5). In February 2002, he assumed command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Fifth Fleet. From October 13, 2003 to October 21, 2004, Admiral Keating served as the Director, Joint Staff

Director of the Joint Staff

The Director of the Joint Staff is a three-star officer who assists the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the management of the Joint Staff, an organization composed of approximately equal numbers of officers contributed by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, who have been...

. Admiral Keating commanded the U.S. Northern Command and NORAD from 5 November 2004 to 23 March 2007. Keating became ComPac (Commander, U.S. Pacific Command

United States Pacific Command

The United States Pacific Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States armed forces responsible for the Pacific Ocean area. It is led by the Commander, Pacific Command , who is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving...

) on 26 March 2007. He served as ComPac until his 19 October 2009, just before his retirement.

Awards and decorations

His awards include:

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...  with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
	Navy Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...  with Gold Star Award star An award star is a decoration issued to personnel of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in lieu of multiple awards of the same award. An award star is very similar to an oak leaf cluster, which serves the same purpose in the United States Army and United States Air Force...
	Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...  with three Gold Stars
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal Defense Meritorious Service Medal The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense...
	Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States) The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...  with Gold Star
	three Air Medal Air Medal The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:... s (Strike/Flight awards)
	Navy Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars and Combat “V” Valor device The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor...
	Navy Achievement Medal with Silver Award Star
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award Joint Meritorious Unit Award The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982...
	Navy Unit Commendation Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with 2 bronze service star Service star A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service... s
	Navy "E" Ribbon w/ 2 Battle E devices
	Navy Expeditionary Medal Navy Expeditionary Medal The Navy Expeditionary Medal is an award of the United States Navy which was first created in August 1936 by General Orders of the Department of the Navy...
	National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...  with 2 bronze service stars
	Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...  (3 campaign stars)
	Southwest Asia Service Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal The Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War...  with 3 bronze service stars
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is a United States armed forces military award created by George W. Bush on March 12, 2003 by Executive Order 13289. It recognizes those military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from September 11,...
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13289 of President George W. Bush on March 12, 2003...
	Armed Forces Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal The Armed Forces Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created on January 11, 1996 by President Bill Clinton under...
	Humanitarian Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal The Humanitarian Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States armed forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under...  with 2 bronze service stars
	Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 1 silver and 2 bronze service stars
	Vietnam Campaign Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is...
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)
	Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal

He also has over 5,000 flight hours and 1,200 arrested landings.