Colin J. Kilrain

Colin J. Kilrain
Colin J. Kilrain
Born	1958 (age 65–66)
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1985–2023
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands	Special Operations Command Pacific; Naval Special Warfare Group 2; SEAL Team 4; Naval Special Warfare Unit 4
Battles / wars	War in Afghanistan; Iraq War
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal (4); Legion of Merit (2); Bronze Star Medal (5)
Spouse(s)	Susan Leigh Still

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] While at Lehigh Kilrain was a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler.

Naval Career

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 1995, 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
	Legion of Merit with one gold award star
	Bronze Star Medal with four award stars
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Meritorious Service Medal with award star
	Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with award star
	Navy Achievement Medal with award star
	Combat Action Ribbon with award star
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award
U.S. Service (Campaign) Medals and Service and Training Ribbons
	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

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

^ "Biographical Data: Susan Kilrain (Commander, USN, Ret.)" (PDF). NASA. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
^ 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.
^ "PN1078 - 1 nominee for Navy, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. September 13, 2021.
^ "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.
^ "United States Navy Flag Officers (Public), February 2023" (PDF). MyNavyHR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
^ ^a ^b Vice Admiral Colin Kilrain, August 21, 2020, archived from the original on 2020-11-19
^ "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)
^ 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)
^ 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
^ U.S. Navy Seal becomes military attaché to Mexico, April 14, 2014, archived from the original on 2020-08-08
^ Commander of NSWG2, 26 November 2009, archived from the original on 2021-10-18
^ 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)
^ Fenton succeeds Kilrain at Special Operations Command, Pacific, October 21, 2019, archived from the original on 2020-11-19
^ 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)
^ @NATO_SOF (8 July 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.

Military offices
Preceded by P. Gardner Howe III	Commander of the Special Operations Command Pacific 2016	Succeeded by Bryan P. Fenton
Preceded by Marshall B. Webb	Commander of the NATO Special Operations Headquarters 2016–2019	Succeeded by Eric P. Wendt
Preceded by P. Gardner Howe III	Associate Director for Military Affairs of the Central Intelligence Agency 2019–2021	Succeeded by John D. Caine
Preceded by Ricky L. Waddell	Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2021–2023	Vacant

[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.

[February_2023_Roster-5] "United States Navy Flag Officers (Public), February 2023" (PDF). MyNavyHR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-02.

[Navy_bio-6] 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)

[Navy1-8] 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, 26 November 2009, 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 (8 July 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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