Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe is a native of Somerset, Texas. He graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York, in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in marine systems engineering. He earned a Master of Science in applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994 and was selected to transfer to the engineering duty officer community.

At sea and deployed, Wolfe served tours as assistant weapons officer onboard USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN 644) from 1988 to 1992 and as an individual augment deployed to Iraq in 2007 with a forward-based team responsible for construction of courthouses and prisons in support of rebuilding Iraqi government infrastructure..

He has served in several staff and joint assignments, including as the lead systems engineer on a Ballistic Missile Defense Office joint skunkworks project, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; as the liaison from Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) to the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy Command Control Communications, Computers & Intelligence (C4I); and as a technical investigator for the Columbia Accident Investigation Board where he served as a lead for foam loss testing and orbit impact analysis.

Since becoming an engineering duty officer, Wolfe has served in various roles of increasing importance within SSP including assistant section head for the Fire Control and Guidance Branch; technical division head at SSP’s Program Management Office in Sunnyvale, California; deputy chief engineer branch head for Fire Control and Guidance Branch; the nuclear weapons security coordinator and SSGN coordinator; and branch head for Missile Branch. In 2012, Wolfe assumed duties as the technical director and deputy direct reporting program manager for SSP and served in that role until he was promoted to flag officer.

Wolfe promoted to Rear Admiral October 1, 2014, and transferred to the Missile Defense Agency where he was the program executive for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense.

Wolfe was promoted to vice admiral and assumed the duties as director of the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) in 2018. As Director of SSP, Wolfe leads the Navy’s command responsible for Navy Nuclear Weapons Programs which include the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) Trident II (D5LE) strategic weapon system that makes up the sea-based leg of the nation’s nuclear deterrent triad and the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile-Nuclear (SLCM-N) program which was designated a Major Defense Acquisition Program in March 2024. Wolfe also oversees the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program, responsible for designing and developing the sea-based hypersonic strike capability for the warfighter.

Wolfe is dual-hatted as Echelon I director for Naval Nuclear Weapons Oversight Program (CNO N00NW) which provides regulatory oversight for the Navy Nuclear Deterrence Mission (NNDM) and technical authority on Navy nuclear weapons and Nuclear Weapons systems.

Wolfe's awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with gold star, Navy Achievement Medal with three gold stars, Air Force Achievement Medal and various other service awards.

Last Updated: 23 December 2024