President Joe Biden has nominated new commanders to lead U.S. Submarine Forces and U.S. 2nd Fleet, the Pentagon announced last week.
Rear Adm. Robert Gaucher is up for a third star and to serve as the commander of Naval Submarine Forces. If confirmed, Gaucher would be tripled-hatted as the commander of Submarine Force, Atlantic and of the Allied Submarine Command based in Norfolk, Va.
A career submariner, Gaucher has been the director of strategic integration for the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare (OPNAV N2/N6) since August 2022. Before that role, he was the commander of Submarine Group 9/Task Group 114.3, according to his service biography.
At sea, Gaucher has been the executive officer of the blue crew of Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Maryland (SSBN-738) and the commanding officer of Los Angeles-class submarine USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN-705).
If confirmed, Gaucher will replace Vice Adm. William Houston, who is up for a fourth star and to lead the Navy’s and the Department of Energy’s nuclear naval reactor program. Houston has led the Navy’s submarine forces since September 2021.
Meanwhile, Rear Adm. Douglas Perry is also up for a third star and nominated to lead U.S. 2nd Fleet. Perry has been the director of undersea warfare on the chief of naval operations’ staff (OPNAV N97) since 2021.
Perry’s sea tours include assignments as the executive officer of Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN-741) and as the commanding officer of Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Pasadena (SSN-752), according to his service bio.
If confirmed, Perry will replace 2nd Fleet commander Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer, who was nominated to be the next deputy chief of naval operations for Warfighting Development (OPNAV N7).
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is holding up over 100 Defense Department military and civilian nominations over objections to a policy that allows service members to go on leave to travel out of state for reproductive healthcare, including abortions.
