The Fleet Forces Command change of command ceremony set for Monday has been canceled, FFC said Thursday.
Adm. Bill Gortney was to relinquish command to Adm. (sel.) Phil Davidson, but Davidson's relief hasn't been confirmed by senators and so Davidson will remain in command of the Naples, Italy-based 6th Fleet until then.
Gortney has been tapped to lead U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He will proceed to Colorado for that assignment.
Vice Adm. Nora W. Tyson, FFC's deputy commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, will take the helm until all necessary confirmations are made, said FFC spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Katie Hodgins.
Davidson, who commands U.S. Sixth Fleet in Naples, Italy, has also been confirmed by the Senate. The problem is that the Senate has not yet confirmed Davidson's replacement, Rear Adm. James Foggo, had not been confirmed as of Nov. 20.
who would get a third star in addition to the command. No one on Capitol Hill has challenged his Sept. 17 nomination, nor is it being held hostage. The Senate simply has not yet addressed the nomination, said Hodgins. Lt. Cmdr. Katie Hodgins, Fleet Forces spokeswoman. Davidson's nomination was made in early August. Gortney was nominated to lead NorthCom in June.
Foggo currently serves as assistant deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy. The 1981 U.S. Naval Academy graduate is a submariner by trade and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
6thSixth Fleet is a prestigious billet whose office holders have often gone on to four-star postings. In addition to Davidson, previous 6th Fleet bosses include Adms. Harry Harris and James Winnefeld. Foggo is a seasoned 6th Fleet hand, having in the Sixth Fleet area, having commanded Submarine Group 8 out of Naples and served as 6th Fleet's deputy commander and operations officer for Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, the 2011 campaign against Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's regime.
