On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced that the president had nominated Vice Admiral Alvin Holsey to the grade of admiral and assigned him as the commander of U.S. Southern Command.
Holsey was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program at Morehouse College in 1988, where he received a degree in computer science.
He earned a Master of Science in Management from Troy State University in 1995 and attended the Joint Forces Staff College in 2010.
During his career at sea, he deployed with various ships and commanded Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light Three Seven (HSL-37) and USS Makin Island (LHD 8).
As a flag officer, he also served as commander of Carrier Strike Group One aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and commander of the International Maritime Security Construct / Coalition Task Force Sentinel. His staff assignments included duty as a flag aide, operations officer, and executive assistant, and he served as deputy director for Operations at the National Military Command Center, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In 2020, he was chosen to serve as director of Task Force One Navy, analyzing and evaluating societal and military issues that affect Navy readiness.
Prior to his current appointment, he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel / Commander, Navy Personnel Command. Holsey assumed the role of Military Deputy Commander, United States Southern Command on February 1, 2023.