NAVWAR’s New Commander: Rear Adm. Okano Takes Charge as Rear Adm. Small Retires After Distinguished Service
Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) conducted a change of command and retirement ceremony at its headquarters in San Diego on Aug. 9. Rear Adm. Seiko Okano relieved Rear Adm. Doug Small as commander of NAVWAR, and family, friends, colleagues, and industry partners were in attendance.
Vice Adm. John Wade, commander of the Third Fleet, was presiding officer of the ceremony. “I’ve known Rear Adm. Okano for many years now. This is the fourth change of command where she’s followed in Rear Adm. Small’s footsteps,” he said. “There is no better person to sustain and increase the momentum he’s made with NAVWAR.
I look forward to serving with you and the NAVWAR team as we continue to bring capability forward.”
A native of Evanston, Illinois, Okano graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, where she earned a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering. From there, she earned a master’s in space systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, where she was also selected for transfer to the engineering duty officer community in 2001. Her operational tours include gunnery, fire control officer, and electrical division officer on USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), which she deployed to Somalia, and Amphibious Force 7th Fleet flag aide in Okinawa, Japan. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, she served on Joint Crew Composite Squadron One in Tikrit, Iraq, to assist with defeating radio-controlled improvised explosive devices.
Okano has also had several tours in acquisition, starting with Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego; Missile Defense Agency, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System; Military Satellite Communications Wing, Space and Missile Systems Center; and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California.
Her previous assignment was as program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems in Washington, D.C. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime to lead this exceptional organization, one that stands the watch day and night for our Navy’s Information Warfare capabilities and fights every day to ‘own the domain,'” said Okano. “We live in a time when information dominance is critical to national security. In this dynamic environment, our mission is clear: to deliver and sustain superior Information Warfare capabilities, enabling our Navy to fight and win in the information age.”
As NAVWAR Commander, Okano will oversee 11,000 civilian and military personnel who design, develop, and deploy advanced communications and information capabilities for the Department of the Navy. She also takes over as head of Project Overmatch, a high-level initiative to deliver rapid integration systems and field a new naval operating architecture.
According to a recent economic impact report by the San Diego Military Advisory Council and the University of San Diego Knauss School of Business, NAVWAR’s total gross regional product in fiscal year 2022 was between $3.14 and $3.38 billion. Through both direct hiring and contracting work, over 18,000 jobs have been created. The Cyber Center of Excellence also named NAVWAR the top cyber employer in the San Diego region, with nearly 3,500 jobs dedicated to the rapidly growing field of cybersecurity.
“Central to our mission is the incredible team of professionals who make up NAVWAR. Your expertise, dedication, and commitment are the backbone of our operations,” said Okano. “We will continue to strengthen our partnerships across the Navy, with other branches of the armed forces, our allies, and the private sector. By working together, we can harness the full power of our collective capabilities and stay ahead of emerging threats.”
After a nearly 40-year career in the Navy, Rear Adm. Small has officially retired from military service. Throughout his four years at NAVWAR, a continued priority of his has been empowering the workforce. With reverse mentoring groups, Ask Me Anything, and kaffeeklatsches; Small has always been keen on hearing from employees and engaging in open dialogue to enact positive change in the command. Under his leadership, NAVWAR was named the No. 1 place to work in the Navy in the 2023 Best Places to Work in Federal Government rankings, reflecting his emphasis on employee engagement. He also stood up the Project Overmatch team after direct orders from the Chief of Naval Operations, bringing experts together across the Navy to support this top priority.
“The maritime domain is growing in importance, and by extension, so is our Navy. To ensure peace and prosperity and deter conflict, we need to be a position of strength. Part of that vital work is to ensure that our systems are integrated. That has been Rear Adm. Small’s body of work throughout his career,” said Wade. “I want to thank him for his leadership, management, and technical expertise over the years, which have all grown in complexity and depth.”
Wade presented Small with the Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his exceptionally meritorious service to the United States as NAVWAR commander. His groundbreaking leadership led to the delivery of more capable leading technology systems. The award was conferred on behalf of the President of the United States and the Secretary of the Navy. Wade also awarded the NAVWAR workforce with a Meritorious Unit.