Gregory J. Slavonic

Gregory Joseph Slavonic is the 18th United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASN M&RA). Secretary Slavonic retired as a Rear admiral in the United States Naval Reserve, after a 34-year career serving in the US Navy.

Military career
Slavonic was born May 6, 1949 in Great Bend, Kansas and raised in Oklahoma City. Following high school, he attended the Oklahoma State University and later graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism & Broadcasting. Slavonic enlisted the United States Navy in 1971 during the Vietnam War, and following his recruit training at Navy Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois, he was ordered to the Navy Signalman "A" school at Newport, Rhode Island. He was then attached to the crew of aircraft carrier USS Constellation and participated in the two western Pacific deployments in support of combat operations in Vietnam.

Upon his return from sea duties, Slavonic was discharged from active service and entered the United States Navy Reserve in Oklahoma City. He attended the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated in summer 1976 with Master's degree in Education. He rose through the ranks of the Navy Reserve and was recalled to active service in November 1990 for the Gulf War. Slavonic was assigned to the staff of U.S. Central Command under General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. and assumed duty with the Navy public affairs section, Joint Information Bureau in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

He then served as a Chief of Navy News desk and combat media escort officer, which included escorting media Combat Correspondent Pools (CCP) pools on board the guided-missile frigate USS Curts to document processing and interrogation of more than 40 Iraqi prisoners of war and floating mines which posed danger to U.S. and international shipping. He was serving as media escort officer with a media pool on the 18,000-ton amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli in the Persian Gulf when it struck an Iraqi underwater tethered mine.

Slavonic later reached the rank of Rear Admiral and was recalled to active duty in June 2004 in order to take part in the Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Enduring Freedom, Baghdad, Iraq. He was the first U.S. Navy flag officer assigned to the Multinational Force Iraq (MNF-I) staff and also served as the director of strategic communications and public affairs officer for Army Commanding General of Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I)

While in Iraq, Slavonic also served as the Director, Combined Press Information Center. He retired from the Navy/Navy Reserve in June 2005.

Private sector
Slavonic joined the Computer Sciences Corporation, supporting the U.S. Navy's outreach program. Slavonic also served as President, FlagBridge Strategic Communications for more than six years.

Public sector
Slavonic served as the first Chief of staff to United States Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma. In this role, Slavonic was responsible for creating, building and organizing a senate staff including hiring and standing up and transition to a new office in Washington DC, including two state offices.