Rear Adm. Robert D. Katz

Rear Adm. Rob Katz is a 1989 graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.  He also earned a Master of Science in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Arts degree in Military History from the Army Command and General Staff College.

Katz commanded two warships, USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Vella Gulf (CG 72).  His other operational assignments include USS San Jacinto (CG 56), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Princeton (CG 59), and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).  His seagoing career has taken him around the world, from the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, to the Baltic, Mediterranean, Red, and Black Seas.  He also participated in numerous operations to include Desert Shield/Storm, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn and Enduring Freedom.

Ashore, he served as the budget analyst for Surface Warfare Division in OPNAV (N76), NATO defense planner and budget officer for Strategy and Policy Division in OPNAV (N51), a budget analyst for the Program Budget Analysis Division (PBAD) on the Joint Staff (J-8), Fleet Command Center Director (N31) / Current Operations Branch Head (N33) at United States Fleet Forces Command and the Joint Staff (J-8) as the division chief for PBAD. 

Katz was a 2016 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow.

His personal awards include Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (two awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (two awards).

Katz most recently served as the director, Joint and Fleet Operations (N3) at U.S. Fleet Forces Command. He assumed command of Expeditionary Strike Group 2 (ESG-2) on March 27, 2020.