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VADM Roy Kitchener, USN (Ret.)

Senior Executive Adviser
Booz Allen Hamilton; Former Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

VADM Roy Kitchener, USN (Ret.), most recently served as Commander of the Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet from August 2020 until his retirement in 2024.

Born in Trumbull, Connecticut, Kitchener graduated from Unity College in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He attended the Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and was commissioned as an ensign in 1985. Kitchener later earned a Master of Arts in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School, specializing in Western Hemisphere studies.

Throughout his 39-year naval career as a surface warfare officer, Kitchener held numerous sea and shore billets, deploying worldwide in support of U.S. operations. His early sea assignments included serving as division officer aboard USS Dewey (DDG-45), operations and training officer for Special Boat Unit 26 in the Republic of Panama, combat systems and weapons officer aboard USS San Jacinto (CG-56), executive officer aboard USS Cowpens (CG-63), and operations officer and chief of staff for Commander, Carrier Strike Group 11.

Ashore, he worked as the Surface Warfare Directorate’s Naval Surface Fire Support program officer on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, combat systems instructor at Surface Warfare Officers School, ballistic missile defense operations chief at the Cheyenne Mountain directorate for Commander, U.S. Northern Command, and vice commander of Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command. Later staff roles included chief of staff for Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet; Commander, Naval Surface Forces; Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO; and U.S. deputy military representative to the NATO Military Committee.

Kitchener commanded several key units, including USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) and USS Higgins (DDG-76) during the Navy’s Sea Swap Initiative, USS Princeton (CG-59), and Expeditionary Strike Group 2.[1] Prior to his Pacific Fleet command, he led the Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.[1] His service earned him the Defense Superior Service Medal (three awards), Legion of Merit (five awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and various campaign and service awards.

Following his retirement from the Navy in 2024, Kitchener joined Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior executive adviser, focusing on defense capabilities such as artificial intelligence, joint fires, accelerated readiness, and cybersecurity.

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