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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19)

CAPT. Fred Goldhammer, USN
Commanding Officer

Captain Fred Goldhammer, a native of New York City, was commissioned in 1993 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics. Following initial training in Pensacola, Florida as a Naval Flight Officer, he was selected to fly the E-2C Hawkeye.

In 1995, CAPT Goldhammer reported to the VAW-125 “Tigertails” for his initial sea tour. Additional sea duty assignments include service with the VAW-123 “Screwtops” as a Department Head, and the VAW-117 “Wallbangers” as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer. These tours included multiple deployments embarked aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) supporting Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, JOINT ENDEAVOUR, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. CAPT Goldhammer also completed Individual Augmentee assignments as an air planning officer for the Coalition Combat Air Operations Center in Saudi Arabia, liaison officer to the US Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps in Afghanistan, and as a Combat Search and Rescue watch officer for US Navy Fifth Fleet Staff in Bahrain.

After completing Aviation Nuclear training, he reported to USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) as Executive Officer in April 2016, and deployed to the Seventh and Fifth Fleet areas of responsibility, this time in support of combat operations during Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. He took command of USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) in August 2018.

CAPT Goldhammer’s shore assignments include flight instructor duty with the VAW-120 “Greyhawks,” project officer and flight test lead for several E-2C avionics system upgrades at VX-20, and as a Federal Executive Fellow at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory. CAPT Goldhammer has also completed multiple Pentagon assignments, including service with the Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5) Directorate as a Homeland Defense and Counter Terror Action Officer, DoD liaison officer to the National Counter Terrorism Center, staff officer for the Chief of Naval Operations, and as Executive Assistant to Director, Navy Staff.

CAPT Goldhammer earned Masters Degrees in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and in Military Operational Arts and Sciences from the US Air Force Command and Staff College. A graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School, he has accumulated over 3,000 flight hours and over 700 carrier landings in 26 different types of aircraft. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Strike Flight Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and various other personal, unit, campaign, and service awards.

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