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Captain Darren W. Glaser
U.S. Navy (Retired)
Senior Naval Science Instructor

   Captain Darren Glaser is a native of Arlington Heights, Illinois.  While in high school, he participated in four years of his school’s Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) program and was the cadet company commander his senior year.  It was an amazing experience with a tremendous impact on his life and professional career.  In 1993, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Kansas and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy through his university’s Naval ROTC program.  He then served 30 years on active duty.

    As a Surface Warfare Officer, he has literally sailed around the world and walked the soil of dozens of countries. His sea tours included USS NASSAU (LHA 4), USS SHILOH (CG 67), USS FITZGERALD (DDG 62), and USS MILIUS (DDG 69) as that ship’s Executive Officer.  His first command tour at sea was Commanding Officer of USS McCLUSKY (FFG 41). In June 2016, he reported for his major command at sea as Commanding Officer of USS SOMERSET (LPD 25).  Across six warships and as a ship captain he has sailed at sea in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleets.

    With a sub-specialty in education and training, Captain Glaser qualified as a Navy Master Training Specialist and served as an instructor on shore tours. At the Fleet Combat Training Center, Pacific, he was the Cruise Missile Branch Head and Senior Instructor for Tomahawk Watch Officer, Cruise Missile Command Course, and the C4I System Engineering curriculum. He also served at Surface Warfare Officers School Command as the Executive Director of Fleet Training (N72), responsible for the Surface Warfare Division Officer Course, International Surface Warfare Officer Course, and the Navigation, Seamanship, and Ship-handling (NSS) curriculum.

    Following his afloat Executive Officer tour on USS MILIUS, he earned his Master's Degree from the historic U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI.  Captain Glaser then served a one-year, joint tour on the ground in Baghdad, while embedded in the Army, and within the Multi-National Security Transition Command–Iraq.

    Participating at the highest level in the Department of Defense and our government, Captain Glaser has served as a Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, who worked directly for the Secretary of Defense in the management of public and legislative policy and affairs.  He directly interacted with Presidential Cabinet members, members of Congress and their staffs.  Captain Glaser was assigned to the Chief of Naval Operations staff (OPNAV N96, Surface Warfare) as a dual Branch Head for both the Destroyer Construction Program, responsible for the requirements of all destroyer construction in the Navy, and the Future Ships Program for future construction of all warships.   As a senior Captain, he served a 4-star Admiral as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.  His duties included being responsible for the command headquarters joint team of over 800 staff on U.S. military, political, economic and strategic policies for 377,800 military, civilian and contractor personnel.

    Returning to naval education during his last active duty tour, Captain Glaser was the Commanding Officer of Tactical Training Group Pacific where he used his experiences along with cutting edge IT technology and simulators to prepare Carrier Strike Group Admirals and their staff for oversea deployments. This training was conducted simultaneously across thousands of miles with joint U.S. forces, allied nations, and partners across multiple continents.

Over his 30-year active duty career, his personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with two stars), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (with three gold stars), Navy Achievement Medal (with two gold stars), and various unit awards and service ribbons.