United States Third Fleet
The United States Third Fleet is one of the numbered fleets in the United States Navy. Third Fleet's area of responsibility includes approximately fifty million square miles of the eastern and northern Pacific Ocean areas including the Bering Sea, Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and a sector of the Arctic. Major oil and trade sea lines of communication within this area are critically important to the economic health of the United States and friendly nations throughout the Pacific Rim region.
| Commander, U.S. Third Fleet | |
|---|---|
Third Fleet Logo | |
| Active | 15 March 1943 – 7 October 1945
1 February 1973 – present (51 years) |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Fleet |
| Part of | United States Pacific Fleet |
| Garrison/HQ | Naval Base Point Loma |
| Website | https://www.c3f.navy.mil/ |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | VADM Michael E. Boyle |
| Deputy Commander | RADM Larry D. Watkins |
| Chief of Staff | CAPT Randy Van Rossum |
| Command Master Chief | CMDCM H. Trenton Schmidt |
| Notable commanders | FADM William F. Halsey |
First established in 1943, the Third Fleet conducted extensive operations against Japanese forces in the Central Pacific during World War II. Deactivated in 1945, the fleet remained inactive until 1973, when it was reactivated and assumed its current responsibilities.