Rear Adm. Paula Dunn, a Michigan native and daughter of a World War II veteran was commissioned in 1993 through Navy Officer Candidate School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Michigan, a Master of Arts in Communication Arts from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas. She is a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Dunn’s public affairs leadership deployments include Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula in Iraq; Operation Nomad Shadow in Ankara, Turkey; Joint Investigation Group for the sinking of ROKN Cheonan in Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea; Operation Tomodachi following a major earthquake and tsunami in Japan, underway aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) with U.S. 7th Fleet; and crisis contingency missions in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation, Bahrain.

Her command leadership assignments include Navy Office of Information U.S. 7th Fleet, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, and Navy Office of Information U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet. Her staff assignments include special assistant (Public Affairs) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, News Desk at the Chief of Navy Information office, director of broadcast and publishing at Naval Media Center and deputy director of Navy Office of Information U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Dunn is accredited in public relations and military communication from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). She has earned two Silver Anvil awards from PRSA; a Thomas Jefferson Award from the Department of Defense, and a Thompson-Ravitz Award for Excellence in Navy Public Affairs.

A joint qualified officer, Dunn earned her Joint Professional Military Education from the Navy War College and Joint Forces Staff College.

Last Updated: 1 March 2024