Admiral Steve Koehler
Commander, U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet
Stephen Thomas Koehler was born in April 1964 in Norfolk, Virginia. He earned an undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and was commissioned through the Navy’s ROTC. He earned a master’s from the Naval War College. He is also a graduate of the Joint Staff College and the Navy Nuclear Power Program.
Koehler commanded naval aviator squadrons, an amphibious assault ship, and aircraft carriers as well as commanding Carrier Strike Group 9. He became director of operations for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Koehler commanded the U.S. Third Fleet before his present command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which he assumed in July 2023.
In the News…
Admiral Steve Koehler, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, spoke at WEST 2025, which brings together homeland security and defense officials. The conference, hosted by the U.S. Naval Institute and AFCEA International, covers the latest platforms, leading-edge technologies, and state-of-the-art networking capabilities for sea service operations.
Admiral Koehler outlined three important parts of the common goal, “First; success means we continue to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific that allows all nations, large and small, to connect to the global economy and to prosper. Second; success means we continue to deter our adversaries and preserve peace.
And third; success means that should deterrence fail, our military remains able to prevail over any adversary.“
The Pacific Cleeft commander continued, “Today, we must maintain our dominant posture in a battlespace that is evolving faster than ever. Trends in conflicts around the globe continue to highlight the importance of multidomain operations. But more importantly, they highlight the need for rapid innovation, and lightning quick adaptation from the design room to the battlefield.“
The admiral concluded, “In our rapidly evolving battlespace, speed is a defining characteristic. And I’m not talking about the physical speed of ships, submarines, aircraft, and weapons—I’m also talking about the speed of decision, the speed of information, and the speed of adaptation. ”
