Peace, Stability, And Prosperity: Leading In The Pacific Command

Admiral Harry Harris graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1978 and became a Naval Flight Officer, serving on the P-3C Orion. As a Tactical Action Officer, he was serving aboard the USS SARATOGA and participated in the response to the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking and the 1986 Libyan bombing. In 2004, while assigned to the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, he was responsible for the Navy’s anti-terrorism and force protection policy. Admiral Harris’s two most recent assignments have been Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander of U.S. Pacific Command. In this interview, he talks about his experiences as a junior officer, and his role on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. He discusses the concerns and opportunities he sees in the Pacific region as the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. Finally, he describes the attributes he looks for in junior leaders, and reflects upon what Annapolis means to him.