Thomas Boulton Fargo
Admiral, U.S. Navy

Thomas Boulton Fargo was born on 13 June 1948 in San Diego, CA. He attended high school in Coronado, CA, and Sasebo, Japan. In June 1970, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.

Military Career

Thomas B. Fargo was trained in joint, naval, and submarine commands and served in a variety of sea and shore duty assignments during his stellar career. His five sea assignments in attack and ballistic missile submarines included: Serving as Executive Officer aboard USS Plunger (SSN-595) and as Commanding Officer of USS Salt Lake City (SSN-716.) He served as Commander, Submarine Group 7; Commander Task Force 74; and Commander Task Force 157 in the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf from 1992 to 1993.

He commanded the U.S. Fifth Fleet and Naval Forces of the Central Command during two years of Iraqi contingency operations from July 1996 to July 1998. Fargo served as the 29th Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from October 1999 to May 2002.

Fargo's key shore assignments were served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel; with the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; he has also had multiple assignments in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. After his selection to flag rank in 1994, Admiral Fargo served as Director of Operations (J-3), U.S. Atlantic Command during the Haiti intervention; as Director, Assessment Division (N-81) for the Chief of Naval Operations; and as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy and Operations (N3/N5).

On 1 December 1999, Fargo was promoted to the four-star rank of Admiral and assigned as Commander-in-Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) where he served until 2002. Admiral Fargo served as Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), with Headquarters at Camp H. M. Smith, on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. He commanded PACOM from 2 May 2002 to 26 February 2005 and was the twentieth officer to serve in that position.

As the senior U.S. military commander in the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas, he led the largest of the unified commands and directed Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force operations across more than 100 million square miles. Admiral Fargo was responsible to the President and the Secretary of Defense through the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and was the U.S. military representative for collective defense arrangements in the Pacific.

While serving as Commander of PACOM, Fargo informed the U.S. Congress of his plans to retire from the Navy. A U.S. Air Force flag officer was nominated to succeed him. However, an uproar was created in the Senate as it was customary for a Navy flag officer to serve as Commander of PACOM; flag officers from other branches were never used for that command. Accordingly, the Air Force general was not confirmed by the Senate. Because a successor was not immediately available, President George W. Bush extended the mandatory retirement date for Admiral Fargo.

Admiral Fargo retired from active Navy service in 2005 when the Senate confirmed Admiral William J. Fallon to succeed him as Commander of USPACOM.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Medal (4 Awards)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3 Awards)

Badges and Emblems

Submarine Warfare - Officer
U.S. Pacific Command Emblem

Honors

In February 2005, Admiral Fargo was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia, "for distinguished naval service, particularly for strengthening the Australia-United States alliance whilst Commander United States Pacific Command."

Admiral Fargo is a 1989 recipient of the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.

Admiral Fargo served as the inspiration for the character of Captain Bart Mancuso in the film The Hunt for Red October. Scott Glenn spent several days preparing for his role aboard the USS Salt Lake City. It was during this time that he decided to base his portrayal of his character on then-Captain Thomas B. Fargo.

Education

In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, Fargo has additional business and related training from Harvard University and Stanford University.

In Retirement

Following his retirement from active duty in 2005, Admiral Fargo became active in the private sector.

In 2006, he joined the board of directors of United Services Automobile Association USAA, a Fortune 500 financial services company. As a member of the USAA board, Fargo has served on the Finance and Audit Committee; he currently serves as a member and Vice Chair of the Compensation and Workforce Executive Committee.

Fargo also serves on the boards of directors of Northrop Grumman and Hawaiian Electric Industries; among other companies and nonprofits.