Adm. Robert J. Natter, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet, will be retire this fall after 40 years of service in the Navy.

In October 2001, Natter became the first commander of the newly created U.S. Fleet Forces Command. He has served as commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet since June 2000.

Natter will be replaced by Adm. William J. Fallon, now serving as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

Natter enlisted in the Naval Reserve at the age of 17 as a Seaman Recruit and after a year of service and four years at the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated and commissioned an ensign in June 1967.

Natter’s service at sea included department head tours in a Coastal Minesweeper and Frigate, and executive officer tours in two amphibious tank landing ships and a Spruance-class destroyer. He was officer-in-charge of a Naval Special Warfare detachment in Vietnam, and commanded the USS Chandler, USS Antietam, and the U.S. 7th Fleet.

His shore assignments included company officer and flag secretary to the Superintendent at the Naval Academy; executive assistant to the director of Naval Warfare in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; staff member for the House Armed Services Committee of the 100th Congress; executive assistant to the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet; executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Operation Desert Storm in 1991; assistant chief of Naval Personnel for officer and enlisted personnel assignments; chief of the Navy’s Legislative Affairs organization; director for Space, Information Warfare, Command and Control; and deputy chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy and Operations.

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