Vice Adm. Walter F. Doran was appointed to the rank of admiral today and will become the 29th commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet headquartered at Pearl Harbor Walter Doran to
West Coast forces stay under isle admiral
become Pacific Fleet
commanderBy Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.comThe elevation of Doran, who is an assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to a four-star admiral is dependent upon U.S. Senate confirmation of current Pacific Fleet commander -- Adm. Thomas Fargo -- as the new head of the Pacific Command.
Fargo has been nominated by President Bush to replace Adm. Dennis Blair who will retire May 2. No Senate hearing has been scheduled on Fargo's nomination.
The Pentagon also announced that Brig. Gen. Joseph G. Webb, Jr., assistant surgeon general for Force Development and Sustainment at Fort Sam Houston's Army Medical Command, will become the next commanding general of Tripler Army Medical Center replacing Maj. Gen. Nancy Adams who has been at Tripler since March 1998.
Also selected for a major Army command was Brig. Gen. Brian I. Geehan, who is being assigned as commanding general of the 1st Corps Support Command, XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, N.C. Geehan serves as director, logistics, engineering and security assistance for the U.S. Pacific Command.
Doran was born and raised in Albany, N.Y. He attended Villanova University where he earned a bachelor of arts in history and was commissioned through Naval Reserve Officer Training program in 1967. In 1979, Doran attended the Indian Defense Services Staff College in Wellington, India, and earned a master's degree in defense studies. He also holds another master's degree in communications from the University of Oklahoma, which he received in 1983.
Doran has commanded Amphibious Group One and Amphibious Force U.S. Seventh Fleet in Okinawa; a frigate USS Dewert (FFG-45) and a cruiser USS Belknap (CG-26), flagship for the U.S. Sixth Fleet homeported in Gaeta, Italy.
He assumed command of Seventh Fleet on Aug. 12, 1998.