Joseph Metcalf, III
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Joseph Metcalf, III (20 December 1927 - 2 March 2007) was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts
. He graduated from the Naval Academy
in 1951 and retired from active duty in 1987.
through Vice Admiral. Among his early commands was the USS King County which fired the Regulus II, the forerunner of the present day cruise missile
s. He commanded the USS Westchester County, which made the first combat landing in Vietnam
. He was in command of all the surface ships during the final evacuation of U.S. forces from Vietnam. Other Sea commands have been Commanding Officer
of the USS Bradley, Commander Destroyer Squadron 33, Commander Naval Surface Group Mid - Pacific, Commander Destroyer Group Eight and Battle Group Two and Commander Second Fleet / Commander NATO Strike Fleet Atlantic / Commander Joint Task Force 120.
He was the Operational Commander of all U.S. Forces during the successful campaign to rescue U.S. Citizens in Grenada invasion.
Vice Admiral Metcalf's last active duty assignment was the Deputy Chief of Staff of Naval Operations for Surface Warfare. During this assignment he developed the concept of "revolution at sea" and the triad "up out and down" for missile deterrence.
Other assignment ashore have included Instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Advanced Research and Development Center in Bangkok, Thailand. In the office of the Chief of Naval Operations he served in a number of positions: Head of the planning Branch of the Programming Division, Deputy Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Personnel Planning and Programming and as Director of the General Planning and Programming Division.
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
Joseph Metcalf, III (20 December 1927 - 2 March 2007) was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
. He graduated from the Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1951 and retired from active duty in 1987.
Experience
Vice Admiral Metcalf had extensive leadership and operational experience in both sea and shore assignments. He held sea commands in each grade, LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
through Vice Admiral. Among his early commands was the USS King County which fired the Regulus II, the forerunner of the present day cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
s. He commanded the USS Westchester County, which made the first combat landing in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. He was in command of all the surface ships during the final evacuation of U.S. forces from Vietnam. Other Sea commands have been Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the USS Bradley, Commander Destroyer Squadron 33, Commander Naval Surface Group Mid - Pacific, Commander Destroyer Group Eight and Battle Group Two and Commander Second Fleet / Commander NATO Strike Fleet Atlantic / Commander Joint Task Force 120.
He was the Operational Commander of all U.S. Forces during the successful campaign to rescue U.S. Citizens in Grenada invasion.
Vice Admiral Metcalf's last active duty assignment was the Deputy Chief of Staff of Naval Operations for Surface Warfare. During this assignment he developed the concept of "revolution at sea" and the triad "up out and down" for missile deterrence.
Other assignment ashore have included Instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Advanced Research and Development Center in Bangkok, Thailand. In the office of the Chief of Naval Operations he served in a number of positions: Head of the planning Branch of the Programming Division, Deputy Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Personnel Planning and Programming and as Director of the General Planning and Programming Division.