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Rear Admiral Robert O. Wray

Rear Admiral Wray graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 1979, where he was chairman of the Brigade Honor Committee and captain of the Varsity Sailing Team.

After nuclear power school, he spent four years aboard USS Mississippi (CGN 40), completing several Mediterranean and North Atlantic deployments, including duty in Beirut during the 1983 Lebanon crisis. Wray was then assigned as leading engineering officer at the aircraft carrier prototype reactors in Idaho Falls, Idaho. In November 1986 he transitioned to the Navy Reserve.

His subsequent reserve tours included USS Fahrion (FFG 22), Shore Intermediate Maintenance Facility Newport, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, 6th Fleet, and Readiness Command Northeast. He has commanded five units, and was mobilized to Baghdad in 2004, where he was chief of ops for the operations center coordinating reconstruction.

Wray’s first flag tour was as deputy commander, Military Sealift Command (MSC). With a budget of about $3 billion, MSC operates approximately 110 ships worldwide providing fleet auxiliary ships, prepositioning assets, special missions, and worldwide sealift. In October 2010, he was promoted and assigned to Naples, Italy, as Vice Commander, US Navy Forces Europe/Africa, and US sixth fleet.

In March 2011, he assumed his current duties.

In his civilian career, Wray has a broad entrepreneurial background, having founded and run companies in manufacturing, construction, services, energy and information technology. Wray has a Master’s degree from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. 

He is a licensed professional engineer, holds a patent, and has written two books. His personal awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and numerous lesser awards.

Mr. Gregory A. Sanford

Mr. Sanford is a GS employee serving as the Technical Deputy for President, Board of Inspection and Survey. This follows a30 year Navy career where he served as an Engineering Duty Officer (EDO), ultimately retiring in the rank of Captain on 1 July 2002. Originally from Spokane, WA, he graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from the University of Idaho.

After college, he served three years as the Main Propulsion Assistant aboard USS BADGER (FF 1071), then a two year tour as Boilers Officer on USS LEXINGTON (CVT 16). In 1978 he attended Department Head School, leading to tours of duty as Weapons Officer on both USS HIGBEE (DD806) and USS SAMPLE (FF 1048).

In 1981 he was selected for the EDO community and was assigned to the Naval Postgraduate School where he received a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. From 1983 through 1987 he served in various billets at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; including Ship Superintendent assignments on USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64), USS RANGER (CV 61), and USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3), Type Desk Officer for aircraft carriers, and finally the Planning and Engineering Superintendent. In 1987 he became the Navy’s Weapons Elevator Improvement Program Officer at Naval Sea Systems Command. This tour was followed by duty as the Engineer Officer onboard USS FORRESTAL (CV 59).He returned to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in l991, initially as the Business and Strategic Planning Officer and then completed his tour as the Operations Officer.

Mr. Sanford then spent 1994 to 1996 as the Senior Engineer for the Board of Inspection and Survey, Atlantic. The following two years he was assigned to the Naval Sea Systems Command Engineering directorate; first as the deputy group director for Environmental and Auxiliary Systems, and then director for Technical Authority and Accountability. Following his tour of duty as Commanding Officer, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Puget Sound, he reported as Deputy to the President, Board of Inspection and Survey, NAB Little Creek, VA. Subsequently he was selected for hire in the newly created Technical Deputy civilian billet following his retirement from Navy service.

Captain Eric Tapp

CAPT Eric Tapp is a 1986 graduate of Jacksonville University, where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Computer Information Systems. Following graduation, he served three years at sea as Boilers and Machinery Officer aboard USS VOGE (FF 1047).

Following the decommissioning of VOGE, he completed an eighteen month tour aboard USS JOHN HANCOCK (DD 981) as the Vertical Launch/Tomahawk Weapon System Officer. During the tour on JOHN HANCOCK, CAPT Tapp was selected for lateral transfer to the Engineering Duty Officer Community and was then detailed to the Naval Post Graduate School, where he received a Masters Degree in Weapons Systems Engineering in 1993.

In 1994, CAPT Tapp reported to the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Pascagoula, Mississippi, serving as the DDG-51 Ship Superintendent for New Construction/Pre-Commissioning Units RAMAGE and MILIUS. After completion of the Engineering Duty Qualification Program, he was selected for the Personnel Exchange Program and reported to the Naval Support Command, Sydney, Australia in 1996; he served within the Royal Australian Navy as the FFG-7/DDG-2 Class Maintenance and Modernization Manager and FMS Case Manager.

In 1998, he assumed the duties as United States Deputy Program Manager in the NATO SEASPARROW Program Office where he represented the United States’ interests in the 12 Nation Consortium that employs the NATO SEASPARROW Missile, the Evolved SEASPARROW Missile and associated Combat Systems.

From 2001 to 2003, CAPT Tapp served as the Air and Electronic Warfare Officer at the Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. His responsibilities included all search, navigation, and marshalling radars, all data link systems, and all soft-kill and hard-kill Air Warfare Combat Systems. Following that tour, he served in the PEO IWS 3B Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) & Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) Program Office as Fleet Liaison Officer and Logistics Manager for both systems and Production Manager for CIWS. During this tour, he completed the MBA degree program from Touro University and qualified as an acquisition professional community member in Program Management Level III.

Following this tour, CAPT Tapp was assigned to the Board of Inspection and Survey as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Combat Systems and C4I. He inspected the Combat and C4I Systems, and their respective interfaces and support systems, on all classes of surface ships and aircraft carriers of the USN; inspection applicability also included acceptance trials of MSC and USCG vessels.

From Nov 2008 to May 2010, CAPT Tapp served as the System Integration Program Manager for LCS/FFG/PC Class Ships and for Navy-Type Navy-Owned Combat System equipments for USCG Cutters within the Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS).

In May 2010, CAPT Tapp was assigned to the Board of Inspection and Survey as the Director of Surface Inspections, and in March 2012, CAPT Tapp was appointed as the Chief of Staff.

CAPT Tapp wears the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal.