On July 7, 2017, Captain David Houff was relieved by Captain Clarence Franklin Jr. as Commanding Officer, Navy Information Operations Command Texas. Captain Franklin’s biography follows:

Captain Clarence Franklin Jr., U.S. Navy
Commanding Officer Navy Information Operations Command Texas

Captain Franklin is from St. Louis, Mo., and enlisted in 1981, serving as Plane Captain with Attack Squadron 195 in Lemoore, CA until 1985, completing one Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Ranger (CV 61).  In 1986, he became a Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) and completed tours at Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA), Pyongtaek, ROK, National Security Agency, Ft. George G. Meade, MD and Naval Technical Training Center Detachment, Goodfellow AFB, TX, advancing to Chief Petty Officer in 1993.

Commissioned in 1995, he reported aboard USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) as Signals Warfare Officer, completing two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf.  He also qualified Surface Warfare Officer and led the ship to the 1997 Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic, Intelligence Excellence Award.  In Oct 1997, he reported to NSGA Misawa Japan for flight duty and qualified Naval Aviation Observer.  He completed tours on staff, Commander, Task Force 57/72, Kamiseya, Japan and on staff Commander, Pacific Fleet, Honolulu, Hawaii before reporting in Oct 2004 to Navy Information Operations Detachment Brunswick, Maine for flight duty and as Officer in Charge, where he deployed twice to Iraq in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

In Sep 2006, he reported to Commander, Carrier Strike Group TEN, embarked USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) as Cryptologic Resource Coordinator and Flag Cryptologist, completing one deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf.  He completed a tour at Navy Personnel Command, Millington TN, as Information Warfare (1810) Junior Officer Detailer and in Nov 2011, completed a one-year assignment to Kabul Afghanistan in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.  From Jun 2012 to Jun 2013, he served as Deputy Superintendent and Executive Officer, United States Naval Observatory, Washington, DC and from Jul 2013 to Jul 2015, as Commanding Officer, Navy Information Operations Command Menwith Hill, United Kingdom.

From Aug 2015 to Oct 2016, he completed a tour as Executive Assistant to Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, Commander, United States TENTH Fleet.  Captain Franklin’s most recent tour was in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N2N6) as the Cyberspace Operations, Strategy and Policy lead action officer.

Captain Franklin holds a master degree from the Naval War College and is a Joint Qualified Officer.  His awards include various personal, service, unit, campaign, and joint expeditionary medals and ribbons.  He is the recipient of the 1996 Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic, Shiphandler of the Year Award and 2001 Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing One, Junior Officer of the Year Award and has over 2,100 career flight hours aboard the EP-3E and P-3(SP) aircraft.  He is married to the former Sandra Lynn Nilsen of Sarasota, Fl.  They have two sons, Jeremy age 25 and Clarence Isaiah III, age 11.