Jesse A. Wilson, Jr.

Captain Jesse A. Wilson, Jr., USN is the commander of Destroyer Squadron TWO THREE (DESRON 23), also known as the Little Beavers. He assumed command in December 2010, following a line of officers starting in 1943, which included Arleigh Burke. He is also currently the mission commander for Pacific Partnership 2011, COMPACFLT’s annual humanitarian and civil assistance mission to Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Education
Wilson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy in 1986. He also earned a Master of Science in Operations Research from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA (1991) and a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in 2001. Wilson was also a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow in 2007–08, and he is a graduate of the Navy Corporate Business Course at UVA-Darden.

Career (afloat)
During his initial sea tour aboard USS Reasoner (FF-1063), he served as the Main Propulsion Assistant and Combat Information Center Officer from January 1987 to August 1989. As a Department Head, he served as Engineer Officer aboard USS Antrim (FFG-20) from June 1992 to November 1993. As a second department head tour, he served as Space Examiner in the gas turbine branch of CINCLANTFLT’s Propulsion Examining Board from November 1993 to November 1995. During his follow-on sea tour, he served as the Executive Officer aboard USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) from April 1999 to July 2000. CAPT Wilson’s first command was serving as the sixth Commanding Officer of USS Higgins (DDG-76) from November 2004 to November 2006, where he led HIGGINS during a six-month Western Pacific deployment with the USS NIMITZ Carrier Strike Group as part of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Most recently he served as Sea Combat Commander for the USS NIMITZ Carrier Strike Group during the 2009–10 Western Pacific deployment.

Career (ashore)
CAPT Wilson was assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy from December 1995 to November 1998 where he served as the Twenty-Seventh Company Officer. From June 2001 to June 2004, he served at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff, J8-Force Structure, Resources, and Assessments Division as a joint warfighting analyst. During his most recent tour at the Pentagon, he was assigned to the Campaign Analysis Branch of OPNAV N81 Assessment Division before transferring to serve two Chiefs of Naval Operations as the Deputy Executive Assistant.

Awards and decorations
Legion of Merit

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal

Navy Commendation Medal (4 award stars)

Joint Service Achievement Medal

Navy Achievement Medal (1 award star)



Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge



Surface Warfare Officer