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In Memoriam: Remembering Retired Rear Adm. Richard C. Macke

Rear Adm. Richard Macke, USN (Ret.) is honored with an award in April 2022

Rear Adm. Richard Macke, USN (Ret.), center, is honored in April 2022 with the Chair’s Superior Performance Award. Adm. Samuel Paparo, USN, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, far left, presented the award. On Macke's left is his wife, Susie Macke. On his right is Lt. Gen. Susan S. Lawrence, USA (Ret.), AFCEA's president and CEO, and Linda Newton, president of the AFCEA Hawaii Chapter.

A longtime supporter of AFCEA International and distinguished Pacific Theater naval flag officer passed away on December 7, 2022—Pearl Harbor Day. Rear Adm. Richard C. Macke, USN (Ret.), uniquely served as both the Joint Staff J-6 and later the Pacific Command’s commander.

AFCEANs will long remember Dick Macke, as he preferred to be called, for his untiring work on behalf of AFCEA and particularly the Indo-Pacific conference held annually in Honolulu. He consistently reached out to high-ranking members of the Pacific Command, later the Indo-Pacific Command, to bring important leaders to the podium and panels at the conference. He also was a big supporter of SIGNAL Magazine, helping line up interviews with command leaders and contributing his own material to the magazine itself.

A native of Illinois, Macke’s naval career began in 1960 following his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and commissioning as a naval aviator. After flying A-4 Skyhawks off the USS Midway, Macke entered the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, and then tested A-7A Corsair II aircraft at the Naval Air Test Center. He later flew Corsairs in 152 combat missions off the USS Constellation and became squadron commander of A-7Es on the USS Independence.

Robert K. Ackerman, left, former editor in chief of <i>SIGNAL</i> Magazine, stands with Rear Adm. Richard Macke, USN (Ret.), at TechNet Indo-Pacific in April 2022.

Robert K. Ackerman, left, former editor in chief of SIGNAL Magazine, stands with Rear Adm. Richard Macke, USN (Ret.), at TechNet Indo-Pacific in April 2022.

Macke also served as executive officer of the USS Nimitz and commander of the USS Camden. Following a short tour as executive assistant to the Navy director of command and control in the Pentagon, he became commander of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1984. After relinquishing his command in 1986, he was selected for flag rank and commander of the Naval Space Command. In 1988, he commanded Carrier Group Two and then served as commander of Carrier Group Four in 1990.

President George H. W. Bush nominated him for vice admiral and assignment as director for command, control, communications and computer systems (J-6) for the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. In 1992, Gen. Colin Powell, USA, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, selected Adm. Macke to serve as director of the Joint Staff.

In 1994, he received his fourth star as a full admiral and took command of the U.S. Pacific Command. He remained commander in chief of the largest theater of operations in the U.S. military until his retirement in 1996, which occurred as a two-star rear admiral.

Since his retirement, Macke was a constant presence at the various iterations of the Asia-Pacific conference, both physically and behind the scenes. He will be missed by the many who worked with him.