Adm. James G. Foggo III, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Italy, announced the successor to Fleet Master Chief Raymond Kemp on Jan. 11.

“I am excited to announce Force Master Chief Derrick Walters will be our new Fleet Master Chief,” Foggo said, “He is a proven leader who brings a tremendous and very unique wealth of experience and will advocate for our Sailors and their families serving overseas.”

Today, Walters is the Force Master Chief for Naval Special Warfare, headquartered in San Diego. He will assume the position of Fleet Master Chief in early Spring, 2019.

“Force Master Chief Walters has a stellar record,” Foggo said. “Accordingly, he rose to the top of an impressive list of candidates considered for this critical job and I look forward to the pride, professionalism, and experience he will bring to our mission in Europe and Africa.” 

His previous assignments include a tour of duty with SEAL Teams 8 and 2, and Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Training Det. Walters returned to SEAL Team 2 as the operations and command master chief and did a repeat tour with Special Warfare Group 2 as the senior enlisted adviser.

He has also served as command master chief at Naval Special Warfare Center and was the senior enlisted leader at NATO Special Warfare headquarters before becoming the force master chief of Naval Special Warfare Command.

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.