Rear Adm. Fred Goldhammer, a native of New York City, was commissioned in 1993 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Mathematics.   Designated as a Naval Flight Officer and a graduate of both the US Naval Test Pilot School and the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Training program, he holds Master’s Degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the Air Force Command and Staff College.  Goldhammer was also a Federal Executive Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Operational command tours include Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 117, USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as part of Forward Deployed Naval Forces Japan.  Additionally, Goldhammer’s sea duty assignments include VAW-125 as a junior officer, VAW-123 as a department head, and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) as Executive Officer.  He deployed multiple times in support of Operations Southern Watch, Deliberate Forge, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Inherent Resolve and throughout the IndoPacific region.

Ashore, Goldhammer served as a Navy liaison to the US Army XVIII Airborne Corps during combat operations in Afghanistan, watch officer for the US Fifth Fleet Combat Search and Rescue Center in support of operations in Iraq, staff officer in the Coalition Air Operations Center in Saudi Arabia for Joint Task Force Southwest Asia, flight test lead and project officer at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Zero, and as a flight instructor with VAW-120.  He also completed several Pentagon assignments, including Special Assistant to the Navy’s Director of Air Warfare (OPNAV N98), Executive Assistant to the Director of Navy Staff, military planner in the Joint Staff Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate’s (J-5) Homeland Defense and Counter-Terrorism division, and Department of Defense liaison to the National Counter Terrorism Center.  

As a Flag Officer, he was previously assigned as the Deputy Director for Asia in the Joint Staff J-5 Directorate.  Rear Adm. Goldhammer assumed command of Carrier Strike Group ELEVEN in May 2025.

He has accumulated more than 3,200 flight hours in 29 different types of aircraft and over 800 carrier arrested landings.  His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Meritorious Service Medal, along with other personal, unit and campaign awards.

Last Updated: 14 May 2025