Admiral Craig S. Faller

Admiral Craig S. Faller
Name	Craig S. Faller
Caption	Admiral Craig S. Faller
Birth date	1958
Birth place	Portland, Oregon
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Serviceyears	1981–2021
Rank	Admiral
Commands	United States Southern Command

Admiral Craig S. Faller served as a four-star flag officer in the United States Navy and was the commander of United States Southern Command from 2018 to 2021, providing strategic direction for U.S. activities across Latin America and the Caribbean. A United States Naval Academy alumnus, he combined operational command experience aboard surface ships with joint staff assignments in interagency and multinational settings, engaging with partners such as the Department of Defense, SOUTHCOM partners, and civilian institutions. His tenure intersected with regional challenges involving Venezuela, transnational criminal organizations like Sinaloa Cartel, and humanitarian responses to natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria.

Early life and education

Faller was born in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science, later earning a Master of Arts from the Naval War College and completing studies at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. His professional military education included programs at the National War College and fellowships with institutions such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, exposing him to strategic studies involving NATO, Organization of American States, Inter-American Development Bank, and regional security frameworks. Early mentorships and professional networks connected him to senior leaders from the Chief of Naval Operations staff, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff office, and combatant commands including United States Northern Command and United States Southern Command.

Naval career

Faller commissioned into the United States Navy in 1981 and served in a sequence of operational and staff assignments that included surface warfare billets on destroyers and cruisers such as USS John Young (DD-973), USS Yorktown (CG-48), and USS Vicksburg (CG-69), integrating anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and ballistic missile defense concepts used by United States Fleet Forces Command and United States Pacific Fleet. On joint staffs, he worked with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and United States European Command on planning that involved interoperability with Royal Navy, Canadian Armed Forces, Brazilian Navy, and Mexican Navy forces. He served in key planning roles during operations that referenced Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and multinational exercises such as UNITAS and RIMPAC. As a flag officer, Faller held positions coordinating theater security cooperation with partners across Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Sea, aligning U.S. naval posture with regional maritime security initiatives like counter-narcotics operations alongside agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Coast Guard.

Commands and leadership roles

His command tours included command of cruiser-destroyer groups and naval task forces that interfaced with U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Northern Command, and allied commands during contingency planning for events such as humanitarian crises after Hurricane Maria and regional political instability in Venezuela. He served as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5) on the Joint Staff and as Commander of United States Naval Forces Southern Command and United States Fourth Fleet prior to assuming leadership of United States Southern Command itself. In these roles he coordinated multinational exercises, security assistance programs with the Department of State, and capacity-building efforts with militaries such as the Colombian National Army, Brazilian Armed Forces, Peruvian Armed Forces, and law-enforcement partners from Costa Rica and Panama.

Awards and decorations

Over a multi-decade career, Faller received high-level recognitions including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit, as well as campaign and service awards associated with deployments to regions under U.S. Southern Command responsibility. Unit awards and personal decorations reflected participation in multinational exercises with partners such as Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico, and collaborations with interagency organizations like the U.S. Agency for International Development and the United Nations in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Personal life

Faller is married and has family ties that supported his assignments in port cities and overseas engagements with partner navies and international institutions. Outside uniformed service he has engaged with academic and policy forums including the American Enterprise Institute, the Wilson Center, and regional think tanks focused on Western Hemisphere security, and has lectured at professional schools such as the Naval War College and National Defense University.

Legacy and impact on U.S. Southern Command

As commander of United States Southern Command, Faller emphasized theater security cooperation, capacity building, and whole-of-government responses to challenges posed by transnational criminal networks, migration flows involving nations such as Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and state instability exemplified by the Venezuela crisis. His tenure strengthened partnerships with regional defense institutions including the Inter-American Defense Board and enhanced coordination with international organizations such as the Organization of American States and Caribbean Community. Strategic initiatives under his leadership aimed to integrate maritime domain awareness, partner training with navies from Colombia to Chile, and interagency collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Southern Command partners to address humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and counternarcotics challenges.

Category:United States Navy admirals Category:People from Portland, Oregon Category:United States Naval Academy alumni