Michael Wettlaufer

Michael Wettlaufer, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), served nearly 38 years as a carrier aviator, test pilot and nuclear trained naval officer. He was the 28th Commander, Military Sealift Command from 2019-2023, operating the nation’s largest fleet: 150+ government and commercially owned and operated vessels providing global logistics, sealift and special mission support to the Navy and Joint Force. He previously commanded Carrier Strike Group 3 from 2017 to 2019 including an around-the-world deployment in 2018-2019, and served as Deputy for Policy, Plans, Strategy, Capabilities and Resources in US European Command from 2016-2017. His previous commands include USS John C Stennis (CVN 74) from 2013-2016, USS Denver (LPD 9) in 2011-2012 and the Dambusters of Strike Fighter Squadron ONE NINE FIVE (VFA-195) from 2004-2005. Assigned to the forward deployed naval forces, he deployed from Japan during three separate tours and was also on exchange with the Royal Navy at Empire Test Pilot’s School as a tutor and test pilot from 1998-2001. He has numerous deployments in the North Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf flying the A-6E Intruder from the USS America, FA-18C from USS Independence and USS Kitty Hawk, and the FA-18E/F/G from USS John C Stennis. He was a Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group associate fellow (SSG XXI) from 2001-2002 and as a policy analyst in the office of the deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO Policy from 2005-2007.

Post-retirement, Wettlaufer serves as a senior advisor to Quadrant Nuclear Industries, a board director for both the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps and Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, an angel investor, and advisor to early-stage enterprises as Principal at MW Insights, LLC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology Colorado State University, Master of Science in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee and Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. A US Navy Test Pilot School graduate (Class 104), he completed Navy Nuclear Power Training in 2008.