WASHINGTON — The White House has selected Navy Vice Adm. Richard Correll to serve as the next commander of US Strategic Command, in addition to naming nominees for a top Navy billet in Europe and the second-most senior Marine Corps officer, according to a Pentagon statement.
Correll, a submariner, is currently the deputy commander of US Strategic Command. He has previously commanded the Los Angeles-class submarine Topeka (SSN-754); Submarine Squadron 11 and Submarine Group 7. His prior assignments also include tours on staff for various senior Pentagon civilians and the chief of naval operations’ staff. If confirmed, Correll will follow Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton as the combatant commander.
Separately, the White House nominated Vice Adm. George Wikoff to become commander of US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, the Navy’s top operational officer in the region. Wikoff is currently serving as the Navy’s 5th Fleet commander, the service’s senior officer overseeing naval forces in the Middle East. A career aviator, he has previously served as a TOPGUN training officer and in various positions with the Joint Staff. If confirmed, he would follow Adm. Stuart Munsch.
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering, currently the deputy commandant for aviation, was nominated to become the next assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, the service’s second-most senior officer. Gering would succeed Gen. Christopher Mahoney who has been nominated to become the next Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is scheduled to appear before Senate lawmakers for a confirmation hearing next week.
Correll, Wikoff and Gering would all receive a fourth star if confirmed.
Rear Adm. Heidi Berg was also appointed to lead Fleet Cyber Command/US 10th Fleet/Navy Space Command. Berg, who will pin on a third star if confirmed, is currently the deputy commander there. She previously served as the director of strategy, plans and policy, J-5, at US Cyber Command. Berg would take over for Vice. Adm. Craig Clapperton, who has been in the role since August of 2022.
Further, Trump put forward Army Lt. Gen. Michele H. Bredenkamp to be the new director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), replacing Vice Adm. Frank “Trey” Whitworth. Bredenkamp is currently serving as an advisor on military affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
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Whitworth, who was confirmed in February 2022, late last month was targeted by MAGA influencer Laura Loomer — who took to social media to express outrage over a planned meeting with Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, Democratic vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
In a Sept. 2 post on X, Loomer subsequently took credit for getting the Sept. 5 meeting canceled, and called upon Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to fire Whitworth, citing his status as a Biden administration appointee.
Several top-level Space Force nominations were also among the group of names sent to the Hill.
Lt. Gen. David Miller was tapped as deputy chief of Space Operations for Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements. Miller is currently serving as a commander of Space Operations Command.
Lt. Gen. Doug Schiess was nominated as deputy chief of Space Operations for Operations. Schiess is currently serving as a commander for US Space Forces — Space/Combined Joint Force Space Component Command.
Those two positions were previously combined into one held by Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, who retired on Aug. 14.
Mark Pomerleau and Theresa Hitchens contributed to this report.