RDML

Rear admiral (United States)

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...

 Gretchen S. Herbert is a United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 officer who commands the Navy Cyber Forces

Navy Cyber Forces

Navy Cyber Forces is the type commander for the U.S. Navy's global cyber workforce. The headquarters is located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story...

.

A native of Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York

Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

, Rear Admiral Herbert graduated from the University of Rochester

University of Rochester

The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...

 in 1984, receiving her commission through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program. She holds a masters degree in Systems Technology (Space Systems Operations) from the Naval Postgraduate School

Naval Postgraduate School

The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...

 (1991) and a masters degree in Military Studies from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College

Marine Corps University

The Marine Corps University reports to the United States Marine Corps Training And Education Command. It was established on August 1, 1989 by General Alfred M...

 (1998).

During her early assignments, Herbert served within the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System at Naval Facility Bermuda; at commander, Oceanographic Systems Atlantic; and at Naval Ocean Processing Facility, Dam Neck, Virginia.

Additional shore assignments include satellite communications officer at Headquarters, U.S. Naval Forces Europe

United States Naval Forces Europe

United States Naval Forces Europe is the United States Navy component of the United States European Command and provides forces for United States African Command....

; executive officer, Fleet Surveillance Support Command; Joint Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence instructor at the Joint Forces Staff College

Joint Forces Staff College

The Joint Forces Staff College located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinational warfighters to plan and lead at the operational level...

; commanding officer, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Washington; branch head, Naval Networks for OPNAV N6; and assistant chief of Naval Operations for the Next Generation Enterprise Network.

She also served as director of the Communications, Networks and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Division on the staff of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance.

Fleet assignments include combat systems officer embarked in USS George Washington (CVN-73)

USS George Washington (CVN-73)

USS George Washington is an American nuclear-powered supercarrier, the sixth ship in the Nimitz class and the fourth United States Navy ship to be named after George Washington, the first President of the United States...

 where she deployed to the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

 in support of Operations Southern Watch

Operation Southern Watch

Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...

, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom; and assistant chief of staff for Communications and Information Systems (N6) to commander, Carrier Strike Group 7 embarked in USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

USS Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the United States Navy. The ninth ship of her class, she is named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, President of the United States from 1981 to 1989...

 where she deployed to the Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf with Ronald Reagan Strike Group.

In June, 2011, Herbert assumed command of Navy Cyber Forces at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story

Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story

Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story is a base of the United States military that is located in the Virginia Beach, Virginia which is made up of Fort Story and Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek. It was created as the result of the Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 process...

, Virginia Beach, Virginia.