Rear Admiral Anthony Gaiani
Commander, Navy Region Midwest

Rear Admiral Gaiani, a native of Lewiston, N.Y., graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Arts in English and was commissioned through The Citadel’s ROTC program in 1984. He was designated a naval flight officer in 1985 and reported to Fighter Squadron (VF)101 for initial training in the F-14 Tomcat.

Gaiani served in VF-102 ‘Diamondbacks’ embarked in USS America (CV-66), VF-101 ‘Grim Reapers’ as an instructor, VF-84 ‘Jolly Rogers’ in USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), and commanded VF-213 ‘The Blacklions’ in USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and USS Theodore Roosevelt, serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ashore, he served in Naples Italy, while assigned as the Air Operations officer to Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe, and as Defense Plans to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, in Mons, Belgium, both NATO commands.

Prior to flag selection, Gaiani commanded Naval Base Coronado, during which time the base was recognized by the President’s ‘Commander in Chief’s Award for Installation Excellence’, as the best base in the Navy.

Gaiani has accumulated more than 3000 hours and more than 800 arrested landings. His personal awards include the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal for valor (two awards) the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for valor, and various campaign and unit awards. He is a graduate of the Naval War College’s non-resident seminar program.