FRIDAY EVENING GUEST SPEAKER

REAR ADMIRAL ROBERT E. BESAL, U.S. NAVY (retired)

     Robert E. Besal hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and is the eldest of six sons and three daughters born to Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Besal.  He received his military commission in June 1972 through the Naval Reserve Training Corps at Auburn University, and earned his wings as a Naval Aviator in November 1973, and as a Naval Flight Officer in January 1976.

            Rear Admiral Besal served at sea in Attack Squadrons EIGHTY-TWO and SIXTY-FIVE, and as Assistant Strike Operations Officer in USS Independence (CV 62).  He served ashore as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command, and in Attack Squadron FORTY-TWO as a flight instructor and Executive Officer. 

            In April 1988, he returned to Attack Squadron SEVENTY-FIVE as Executive Officer, and in September 1989, became the forty-seventh Commanding Officer of the “Sunday Punchers.”  During his tour, Rear Admiral Besal led his squadron in combat over Iraq in Operation Desert Storm, flying from USS JOHN F KENNEDY and attacking strategic and tactical targets throughout the theater of operations.

            Following assignment in London as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, he returned to sea duty in April 1993. He commanded the oiler USS SAVANNAH for 27 months, during which his crew earned two consecutive Battle Efficiency “E’s”, and then assumed command of the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA while deployed to the Mediterranean Sea.  He led AMERICA through her final deployment as the flagship in Operations Deny Flight/Decisive Edge in combat operations in the Balkans, and in Operation Southern Watch, patrolling the no-fly zones in Iraq.  His AMERICA crew won the prestigious Battenberg Cup, designating them as the best ship in the Atlantic Fleet.

After USS AMERICA’s decommissioning, Rear Admiral Besal served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel as Director of Aviation Officer Assignments, where he was responsible for the assignments of over 7000 aviation officers. Upon his selection to flag rank, he was ordered to Norfolk, Virginia as Commander, Naval Safety Center in December 1997, and served in that role until April, 1999.

Following his second temporary duty assignment as Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he directed flight operations from five countries supporting UN sanctions against Iraq, he served as Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force from August 1999 until leaving active military service in August, 2002. 

            Rear Admiral Besal’s personal decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in aerial combat, the Bronze Star Medal, and three Air Medals.  He flew more than four thousand hours in tactical aircraft, and made over 1,100 carrier landings.