Rear Admiral Nicholas Tilbrook
Commander, Submarine Group 9
Commander, Task Group 114.3
Rear Adm. Nicholas Tilbrook is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and grew up outside Chicago, Illinois. He graduated with honors from the University of Illinois with Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics. He was commissioned in 1993 after attending Office Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He earned Master’s degrees in Engineering Administration from Virginia Tech and National Security Strategy from the National War College.
At sea, he served as division officer and Navy diver aboard USS Finback (SSN 670) and USS Hartford (SSN 768), engineer officer aboard USS Houston (SSN 713) and executive officer aboard USS Newport News (SSN 750). His deployment
experience spans INDOPACOM, EUCOM, CENTCOM and SOUTHCOM areas of responsibility. While in command of USS Chicago (SSN 721), he conducted a change of homeport from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Agana, Guam where the ship earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Submarine Squadron 15 Battle Efficiency ‘E’. As the commander of Submarine Squadron 17, he was responsible for the training and readiness of the strategic submarine force in the Pacific Fleet.
Ashore, he served as an engineer at Naval Reactors (NAVSEA 08), squadron engineer for Commander, Submarine Squadron 15, Branch Chief of Global Strike Systems Capabilities (J87) at U.S. Strategic Command, executive assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, executive assistant to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Integration of Capabilities and Resources (OPNAV N8), and most recently as Vice Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy (J5) at U.S. Central Command.