Cosgriff, Balderson Join Cna As Senior Fellows

Alexandria, Va. — Vice Admiral (retired) Kevin J. Cosgriff, the former Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and William Balderson, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air Programs, have joined CNA as senior fellows.

"We’re honored that Kevin Cosgriff and William Balderson have agreed to join our growing and prestigious group of CNA Fellows," said Christine Fox, President of CNA’s Center for Naval Analyses. "Their operational and strategic expertise at the highest level of the Navy will be a welcome addition to our research divisions and to several studies already in progress."

Cosgriff was most recently Commander, NAVCENT. He simultaneously commanded the U.S. Fifth Fleet and the Combined Maritime Forces, a coalition of maritime units from more than 20 countries.

He also served as Deputy Commander of Fleet Forces Command, as Director of the Office of Program Appraisal for the Secretary of the Navy, and with the National Security Council. At sea, Cosgriff commanded the frigate USS Robert G Bradley and Destroyer Squadron 32; he also commanded the Theodore Roosevelt Aircraft Carrier Battle Group. He was among the first to receive a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College, and is a graduate of the Naval War College.

From 2003 to 2008, Balderson served as the Navy’s senior aviation acquisition official. He retired from the Navy’s Senior Executive Service in 2008, but was brought back to serve as an advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.

Balderson became a Presidential Management Intern in 1978 in the Naval Air Systems Command and rose to the rank of Deputy Commander for Acquisition and Operations. He earned a B.A. in sociology and history from Randolph-Macon College and a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.