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Commander, U.S. Third Fleet

Vice Adm. Michael Boyle is a native of McLean, Virginia, and the son of a naval aviator. He is a 1987 graduate of Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He received his commission through the Navy Reserves Officer Training Corps program with a master's degree in Foreign Affairs from the Air Command and Staff College.

Boyle was designated a naval aviator in January of 1990. His operational tours include Strike Fighter Squadron 137 (VFA-137), USS Forrestal (CV 59) in support of Operation Provide Comfort and Operation Deny Flight in Northern Iraq; VFA-81, USS Saratoga (CV 60) in support of Operation Provide Promise and Operation Deny Flight over Bosnia-Herzegovina; VFA- 87, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in support of Operation Noble Anvil, Operation Allied Force over Kosovo, and Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq.

Ashore, Boyle’s assignments include VFA-106 as an FA-18 instructor pilot; Naval Personnel Command as the FA-18 junior officer assignments officer; Office of the Secretary of Defense, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (OSD-CAPE) as the Navy TacAir analyst; U.S. Pacific Fleet as executive assistant to the Commander, where he served for Admiral Harry Harris and Admiral Scott Swift; Navy International Programs Office as U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command Security Cooperation director; Director, International Engagements, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, N52; and Director of Maritime Operations at U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Command operational assignments include VFA-81 with Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and USS George Washington (CVN 73) for the Partnership of the Americas deployment, before being reassigned to CVW-11 aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68); forward deployed as CVW-5 aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) for multiple Western Pacific patrols; Commander, Navy Region Korea and Commander, Naval Component, U.S. Forces Korea and United Nations Command, Korea; Commander, Carrier Strike Group-12 where he deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Strike Group and assumed the first operational command of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

Boyle assumed duties as Commander, THIRD Fleet in June 2022.