Captain Frank Okata joined the National War College faculty in 2024 following a tour as Commanding Officer of Singapore Area Coordinator. A Surface Warfare Officer with cruiser, destroyer, frigate, and expeditionary experience. Previously commanded the San Diego-based guided missile destroyer, USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91) and Task Force SIX THREE based in Naples, Italy. Served on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations as NATO/Northern Europe Desk Officer, Joint Task Force National Capital Region, and on the Intelligence Oversight Directorate of the Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy for Policy. A 1996 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Captain Okata also attended the Naval Postgraduate School and the Joint Forces Staff College. Foreign languages include Portuguese, French, and Spanish.
FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE: Logistics, Cold War
REGIONAL EXPERTISE & INTEREST: NATO, EU, Sub Saharan Africa, and South America