About Joe

Joseph A. Sestak, Jr.

Short Biography

Joe is a former 3-Star Admiral, who successfully ran for Congress in 2006, after completing his 31-year military service to our country.   Joe is the senior military veteran serving in Congress and the highest ranking former military officer ever elected to Congress.

Joe led a series of operational commands, culminating in command of the USS George Washington carrier battle group (30 U.S./allied ships, 100 aircraft, and over 15,000 Sailors/Marines/Aviators/SEALs) that conducted combat operations in Afghanistan and precursor combat operation to the war in Iraq.  Joe served as President Clinton’s Director of Defense Policy at the White House on the National Security Council.  After 9/11, the Navy selected Joe to became the first Director of “Deep Blue”, the Navy’s anti-terrorism unit.  Joe also served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs, responsible for the Navy’s $70 Billion warfare program. As Captain of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, his ship was awarded the Battenberg Cup for best ship in the Atlantic Fleet.

Joe was born and raised in Delaware County, where he always maintained his residency.  He attended Cardinal O’Hara High School with his brother and six sisters (and where his mother taught math).  The son of a Navy Captain who fought in World War II, Joe followed in the footsteps of his father and attended the U.S. Naval Academy where he graduated 2nd in his Class.  Joe also earned a Masters in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University.  After his 31-year distinguished military career, Joe returned home to Delaware County with his family, where his parents and siblings also live.

Long Biography:

After graduating from Cardinal O’Hara High School, Joe entered the U.S. Naval Academy from his hometown of Springfield, Pa., and graduated with the class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He left the naval service after almost 31 years in January 2006, after having reached the rank of Vice Admiral.

He served six sea tours with units of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets during which he made seven deployments to Europe, the Persian Gulf and the western and South Pacific. He served in command of USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) named the best overall surface ship in the Atlantic Fleet in the Battenberg Cup selection, and as Commander, Destroyer Squadron Fourteen. He also served at sea as Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Two and George Washington Battle Group deploying to both the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea. As the Battle Group Commander, he led an international coalition force of 30 U.S. and allied ships and 15,000 sailors, exercising command of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as senior diplomatic engagements throughout Southwest Asia, Europe and Africa.

Between tours at sea, Joe earned a master’s degree in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

He served on the Joint Staff in the Force Structure Resources and Assessment Directorate where he prepared politico-military-economic analyses of national security/military strategy and policy for the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, formulating assessments of future security environment and security policy. He also served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as Head of the Strategy and Concepts Branch and Director of the Strategy and Policy Division responsible for developing the maritime element of national military/security strategy, policy and arms control.

Joe was then the Director of the Navy Quadrennial Defense Review where he developed the strategic vision which guided the development of a comprehensive set of analytical studies that outlined the value of the nations economic investment in strategic warfare requirements. He then became the first Director of the Navy Operations Group (Deep Blue) following 9/11, where he formulated a comprehensive redefinition of strategic, operational and budgetary policies in the Global War on Terrorism.

Joe also served in the Office of the President of the United States as the Director for Defense Policy on the National Security Council staff at the White House, where he was responsible for national security and defense strategy, policies, programs, interagency and congressional coordination and regional political/military advice.

He later served as Director, Assessment Division / Capability Analysis Group (N81/N00X) where he directed the independent analysis and centralized assessment of all Joint and Navy national security strategy, policies, force posture requirements and resources, reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). He provided the CNO alternative approaches to national security strategy apart from traditional Joint/Navy strategic and resource sponsors.

Joe was then appointed to the grade of Vice Admiral and served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs (N6/N7) where he directed the assessment, integration and budgetary programming of all naval warfare requirements for the Navy’s Five Year Defense Plan of $350 Billion, and articulated its relationship with national security strategy to the White House, Congress and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Joe is married to the former Susan L. Clark and they have a daughter, Alexandra.