John B. Nowell

John Blackwelder Nowell Jr. (born 1962) is a retired vice admiral in the United States Navy. Nowell assumed duties as the navy's 59th Chief of Naval Personnel on May 24, 2019. Nowell is a distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering and holds a Master of Science in Weapons Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Naval career Nowell's operational tours have spanned the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets to include forward deployed naval forces in Europe and the Western Pacific. He served aboard the , , , and . He commanded , and Destroyer Squadron 60/Task Force 65. He also served as the maritime force commander (Combined Task Force-Bravo) for Joint Task Force Lebanon, Commander of Task Force West and Central Africa (CTF-365), and commander of the inaugural Africa Partnership Station deployment.

Nowell's awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (six awards), Bronze Star Medal, and various other personal, unit and campaign awards. Every ship that he has been assigned to has won the Battle Efficiency "E" award, and USS Porter (DDG 78) also won the Anti-Submarine Warfare "Bloodhound" award. Nowell was also the recipient of the 1987 Pacific Fleet Junior Officer Shiphandling Award.