Thomas Otterbein

US Navy Captain Thomas G. Otterbein, first Commanding Officer of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Thomas G. Otterbein is a retired captain of the United States Navy. A naval aviator, he held important aviation-related commands both at sea and on shore, including a stint as Executive Officer and acting Commanding Officer of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).

Early life and career Otterbein was born in Bad Axe, Michigan. He entered the United States Naval Academy and graduated in 1970.

Captain Otterbein successfully completed Nuclear Power Training and was soon back in the fleet, serving as Executive Officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt. He subsequently assumed command of USS Nashville and led the ship through Operations Support/Uphold Democracy in Haiti, earning the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Battle "E" award. The crowning achievement of his career came when he reported as Commanding Officer, USS Harry S. Truman.

Retirement Thomas Otterbein worked ten years for Sperry Corporation and Northrop Grumman Corporation providing navigation equipment and software for military and commercial use. Otterbein resides in Charlottesville, Virginia.