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.  A graduate of 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.  He 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 the Navy’s only Forward Deployed Aircraft Carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).  Additional 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 flight instructor with VAW-120, staff officer in the Coalition Air Operations Center in Saudi Arabia for Joint Task Force Southwest Asia, flight test lead and project officer for several E-2C avionics upgrades at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Zero, Navy liaison to the US Army XVIII Airborne Corps during combat operations in Afghanistan, and watch officer for the US Fifth Fleet Combat Search and Rescue Center in support of combat operations in Iraq.  He also completed several Pentagon assignments, including military planner in the Joint Staff Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate’s (J-5) Homeland Defense and Counter-Terror division, Department of Defense liaison to the National Counter Terrorism Center, as Executive Assistant to the Director of Navy Staff, and as Special Assistant to the Navy’s Director, Air Warfare (OPNAV N98).

Rear Adm. Goldhammer returned to the Joint Staff J-5 Directorate in April 2023 and assumed his current duties as the Deputy Director for Asia.

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

Last Updated: 8 January 2024