Colin J. Kilrain
Born1958 (age 65–66)
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1985–2023
RankVice Admiral
Commands heldSpecial Operations Command Pacific
Naval Special Warfare Group 2
SEAL Team 4
Naval Special Warfare Unit 4
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal (4)
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal (5)
Spouse(s)Susan Leigh Still
RelationsSusan Kilrain (wife)[1]

Colin James Kilrain (born 1958)[2] is a retired United States Navy vice admiral who last served as the assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 20, 2021 to February 2023.[3][4][5] He previously served as the associate director for military affairs (ADMA) for the Central Intelligence Agency from 2019 to 2021. He is the former commander of Special Operations Command Pacific and Naval Special Warfare Group Two.

Early life and education

Raised in Braintree, Massachusetts, Kilrain graduated from Lehigh University.[6]

Kilrain entered active duty with the United States Navy after completing Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1985. After his commission as an ensign, he received orders to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. After six months of training, Kilrain graduated BUD/S class 136 in February 1986.[7][8] Following SEAL Tactical Training (STT) and completion of a six-month probationary period, he received the 1130 designator as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, entitled to wear the Special Warfare insignia, also known as the "SEAL Trident". As a Navy SEAL officer, Kilrain received his first assignment to SEAL TEAM TWO, where he served as assistant platoon commander and platoon commander until 1990. Kilrain studied German at the Defense Language Institute and was selected for an exchange program with the German Navy Kampfschwimmer in Eckenförde, Germany. In 1992, Kilrain volunteered for assignment to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG) at Dam Neck, Virginia and completed a specialized selection and training course. Kilrain served at NSWDG until 1996, planning, rehearsing and directing classified operations. Kilrain earned a Master of Science degree in national resources strategy and management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF).[6]

Kilrain served numerous staff and command assignments, including as maritime operations officer, Special Operations Command South, Panama; executive officer, Naval Special Warfare Unit TWO, Germany; special operations adviser, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69); operations officer for the State Department's Office of Counterterrorism; commanding officer, Naval Special Warfare Unit FOUR, Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2003 and commanding officer, SEAL TEAM FOUR. Kilrain was promoted to the rank of captain in December 2006.[9] He assumed command of Naval Special Warfare Group TWO (NSWG2) from 2009 to 2011, which was responsible for preparing East Coast based SEAL TEAMS for their operational deployments overseas.[10] [11]

He later served a staff tour as the director of Strategy and Policy for the Office of Combating Terrorism, National Security Council, Executive Office of the President at the White House during the Obama Administration. Kilrain later served as Senior Defense Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. As a rear admiral, he served as assistant commander of Joint Special Operations Command in 2013 followed by assignment to Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii as commander, Special Operations Command Pacific from 2014 to 2016.[12][13] As a vice admiral, he served as commander, NATO Special Operations Headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) from July 2016 to November 2019.[14]

Awards and decorations

U.S. military decorations
Defense Superior Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Gold star
 Legion of Merit with one gold award star
Bronze Star Medal with four award stars
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Gold star
 Meritorious Service Medal with award star
Bronze oak leaf cluster
 Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Gold star
 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with award star
Gold star
 Navy Achievement Medal with award star
Gold star
 Combat Action Ribbon with award star
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
U.S. Service (Campaign) Medals and Service and Training Ribbons
Bronze star
 National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three bronze campaign stars
Iraq Campaign Medal with three campaign stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with silver and two bronze service stars
Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with two bronze service stars
Order of Merits to Lithuania, Officer[15]
NATO Medal for service with ISAF
Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal
U.S. badges, patches and tabs
Special Warfare insignia
Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia
Command at Sea insignia

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Colin J. Kilrain Biography. United States Navy. Archived from the original on 2020-11-19.

  1. ↑ "Biographical Data: Susan Kilrain (Commander, USN, Ret.)" (PDF). NASA. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy on Active Duty. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 October 1990. p. 104. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "PN1078 - 1 nominee for Navy, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. September 13, 2021.
  4. ↑ "United States Navy Flag Officers (Public) November 2021" (PDF). United States Navy. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  5. ↑ "United States Navy Flag Officers (Public), February 2023" (PDF). MyNavyHR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  6. 1 2 Vice Admiral Colin Kilrain, August 21, 2020, archived from the original on 2020-11-19
  7. ↑ "OUTSTANDING AMERICAN – COLIN J. KILRAIN". 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ navy seal foundation, August 29, 2023, archived from the original on December 2, 2023, retrieved December 2, 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ↑ NAVADMIN 318/06 SUBJ/ACTIVE DUTY PROMOTIONS TO THE PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY GRADES OF /CAPTAIN, COMMANDER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER, AND LIEUTENANT, LINE AND /STAFF CORPS, AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER W3, W4, AND W5//, February 20, 2010, archived from the original on 2020-11-19
  10. ↑ U.S. Navy Seal becomes military attaché to Mexico, April 14, 2014, archived from the original on 2020-08-08
  11. ↑ Commander of NSWG2, archived from the original on 2021-10-18
  12. ↑ Navy admiral assigned to Fort Bragg headed to Hawaii, May 10, 2015, archived from the original on November 19, 2020, retrieved November 19, 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ↑ Fenton succeeds Kilrain at Special Operations Command, Pacific, October 21, 2019, archived from the original on 2020-11-19
  14. ↑ NATO SPECIAL OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS HOLDS CHANGE OF COMMAND, December 20, 2019, archived from the original on November 19, 2020, retrieved November 19, 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ↑ @NATO_SOF (July 8, 2019). "On the occasion of the July 6, Lithuanian State Day—The Cross of Officer of the Order for Marits to Lithuania 🇱🇹 wa…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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