Vice Admiral William
John Hancock Jr, USN (Retired)
A Biography
Vice
Admiral William John Hancock Jr graduated from the Naval Academy and was
commissioned an Ensign in June 1965. Selected for Flag rank in December 1989,
he served in positions of increasing responsibility with the Navy until his
retirement in October 1998.
His
final assignment at sea was in command of the USS Ranger CV 61 Aircraft Carrier Battle Group consisting of eleven
ships, more than ninety aircraft, and 7,500 Sailors. During that tour he was
involved in joint operations in the Persian Gulf, with an Air Force composite
wing, enforcing the No-fly Zone over Southern Iraq. Subsequently, the battle
group was called upon to support a Marine landing in Mogadishu, Somalia. With
the decommissioning of Ranger in July 1993, Admiral Hancock assumed command of
the USS Constellation CV 64 Battle
Group, a position he enjoyed until November 1993. Other sea duty assignments
included command of the destroyer USS Towers
DDG 9 based in Yokosuka, Japan as well as the cruiser USS Worden CG 18 where he assumed command in the Persian Gulf in
1987 shortly after the Iraqi missile attack on the frigate USS Stark FFG 31. He also served with the Operations Staff of
Commander, SEVENTH Fleet embarked in the flag ship USS Blue Ridge LCC 19. His early operational assignments included
serving as a division officer in the destroyer USS Tattnall DDG 19, in Vietnam as an Officer-in-Charge of a Patrol
Craft Fast (Swift Boat) out of Cam Ranh Bay, RVN, as a department head in the
destroyer escort USS Brooke FFG 1,
and as commissioning executive officer in the destroyer USS Paul F. Foster DD 964.
While
ashore Admiral Hancock earned a Masters Degree in Operations Research and
Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School and, subsequently, he
served ten tours in the Pentagon. Initially assigned to the staff of the Chief
of Naval Operations as an analyst with the Systems Analysis Division, he later
served in the Office of Program Appraisal, on the personal staff of the
Secretary of the Navy as Administrative Aide, as a Branch Head in the Resource
Appraisal Division, and as Executive Assistant to the Director of Navy Program
Planning. Following his cruiser command, Admiral Hancock served in the
Operations Directorate of the Joint Staff. Following his selection for Flag
rank, he returned to the Navy Department staff as Director of the Operations
Division in the Office of Budgets and Reports. Following his Battle Group
command, he served as Director, Combatant Commander Liaison Division on the
staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and shortly thereafter assumed the
duties as Director of the Office of Budgets and Reports on the staff of the
Secretary of the Navy. His final assignment was to serve as the Deputy Chief of
Naval Operations for Logistics.
Since
his retirement, Vice Admiral Hancock has been an independent consultant
specializing in Defense Logistics, Infrastructure Outsourcing and
Privatization, and Logistics Process Reengineering. A recognized expert in the
Defense Department's planning, programming and budgeting process, Admiral
Hancock serves as an advisor to several defense industry companies that are involved
with the most significant military program development efforts.
Admiral
Hancock remains an advocate for change in the Department of Defense and is
actively engaged as a member of the Army Science Board, as a consultant for the
Defense Science Board, and as a sounding board for key Defense officials in the
ongoing transformation effort.
VADM Hancock is married to Gayle A. xxxxxx of . They reside in FairFax, VA.