Former Combatant Commander

U.S. Pacific Command

Admiral Dennis C. Blair is a consultant to the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) and leads various advisory committees for the Department of Defense. He was a senior fellow at IDA from 2002 to 2003 and president from November 2003 to January 2007.  Blair is a former commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command.  As the senior U.S. military commander in the Pacific and Indian Ocean from 1999 to 2002, 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.

 

During his 34-year Navy career, Blair served at sea on guided missile destroyers.  He commanded USS Cochrane (DDG-15), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.  He also commanded Naval Station Pearl Harbor and the USS Kitty Hawk Battlegroup.  Blair served in budget and policy positions on several major Navy staffs, the Joint Staff, and the National Security Council staff. He was also the first associate director of central intelligence for military support.  Blair is a four-time recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and a two-time recipient of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.  He has received decorations from the governments of Japan, Thailand, Korea and Australia.