REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination:Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST:Republic of Korea
CANDIDATE:Harry B. Harris, Jr.
Admiral Harry B. Harris assumed command of U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) on May 27, 2015. He is the 24th Commander since USPACOM was established in 1947.Harris served in every geographic combatant command region and participated in numerous high-profile naval and joint operations, including the first Gulf War, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Odyssey Dawn.He commanded VP-46, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1, Joint Task Force-Guantanamo, U.S. 6th Fleet, Striking and Support Forces NATO, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet.Harris’ staff assignments include aide to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan; chief speechwriter for the Chairman of the JCS; and three tours on the Navy Staff, including as an action officer in the Strategic Concepts Branch, director for the current operations and anti-terrorism/force protection division, and Deputy CNO for Communication Networks.His outstanding military leadership and communication skills, management expertise, knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region and strong relationships with senior government and military officials in the region make him very well-qualified to serve as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.
Other operational tours included tactical action officer aboard USS Saratoga during combat operations against Libya in 1986; operations officer in VP-4 at Barbers Point, Hawaii; three tours with Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1 at Kami Seya, Japan; director of operations for U.S. 5th Fleet at Manama, Bahrain; director of operations for U.S. Southern Command, and Assistant to the Chairman of the JCS where he travelled with the Secretary of State.He has logged 4,400 flight hours, including more than 400 combat hours, in maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
Admiral Harris earned a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy, a M.P.A. from Harvard’s JFK School of Government, and a M.A. from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, during which he also attended Oxford University in England.His graduate education focused on Asian security.