Admiral Alvin Holsey
Commander, U.S. Southern Command
Alvin Holsey was born in 1965 in Fort Valley, Georgia. He earned an undergraduate degree and was part of the ROTC program at Morehouse College. He earned an M.S. from Troy State University, and attended the Joint Forces Staff College.
Holsey deployed at with the U.S. Navy at sea, and flew military helicopters. He commanded the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light Three Seven as well as the Navy’s first hybrid electric propulsion warship.
Holsey served as commander of the Carrier Strike Group One and inaugural commander of the International Maritime Security Construct / Coalition Task Force Sentinel. He has served as Commander Naval Air Force and the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, then operations officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has also held director positions and command positions in combat commands, fleets, and command centers.
Holsey served as Chief of Naval Personnel / Commander, Navy Personnel Command, and most recently, served as Military Deputy Commander, of United States Southern Command before becoming commander of the U.S. Southern Command in November 2024.
In the News…
Admiral Alvin Holsey, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, testified before the House Armed Services Committee as part of a panel discussing U.S. military posture and national security challenges. The admiral addressed the strategic competition of the U.S. with China and Russia in the Southcom region. He also outlined the impact of transnational criminal organizations, natural disasters, eroding democracies, and food and water insecurity.
Admiral Holsey called China “our pacing threat,” stating, “[China’s] predatory and opaque investment practices, resource extraction, potential dual use projects from ports to space, threaten the security and sovereignty of our partners while jeopardizing the United States’ national security.”
The admiral also noted the attempts by Russia to undermine U.S. leadership, interests, and influence in the Southcom region.
