RSG Alumnus Promoted to Rear Admiral
Gary Montalvo, MA in National Security Studies & International Security ’21
It was Captain Gary Montalvo’s high-achieving and driven nature that led him to one of the highest positions in the U.S. Navy for the Pacific Fleet. Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1997. He later earned an MBA from George Washington University.
During Capt. Montalvo’s esteemed career, he has deployed to the Western Pacific, the European theater, and completed strategic deterrent patrols. He served on several submarines, including the USS Annapolis, (SSN-760), USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735) (BLUE), and USS Texas (SSN-775). He also commanded the USS North Carolina (SSN-777).
As a commander, he was a 2016 recipient of the Stockdale Leadership Award for the Pacific Fleet. He was nominated by the commanding officer of USS Buffalo (SSN 715), Cmdr. Micah Maxwell, who at the time wrote the nomination was “in recognition of his outstanding performance and unquestionable leadership acumen while in command of a heavily decorated, deployed submarine crew.”
During 2021, he was named an MIT Seminar XXI Fellow and spoke at the 2021 Undersea Warfare Fall Conference on advances in unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV). He has written about the role of operational leadership in today’s interconnected world, the skills needed for successful leadership, and how to navigate generational divides in leadership.
Capt. Montalvo graduated Regent at the height of COVID in 2021 to Command Submarine Development Squadron 5 at Bangor Base in Washington state. During that time, he led the squadron through several significant projects, including the completion of the Olympic Pier extension in 2022,op which moved the homeport for the Seawolf-class fast-attack submarines to Naval Base Kitsap – Bangor—a large-scale infrastructure undertaking that aimed to improve service to submarines in port and support undersea warfare capacities.
He also supported the transition of Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron (UUVRON) 1 from a DEVRON detachment to a submarine force major command, helped return the USS Jimmy Carter to an operational capacity, and established a new command in Detachment Bravo with the goal of increasing reconnaissance and battle space preparations using advancements in Naval technology.
“Following Washington, I had a short stint in DC before moving to Millington, Tennessee as the Head of Personnel Policy and Distribution for the Submarine Force. In June 2024, I shifted to Pearl Harbor to serve as the INDOPACOM Executive Assistant to Admiral Samuel Paparo. In January of this year, I left that job to become the director of the headquarters at the U.S. Pacific Fleet,” he recalled.
Capt. Montalvo currently serves as the Rear Admiral and appreciates the role Regent’s Robertson School of Government (RSG) has played in helping him get to where he is.
“I am extremely blessed with the great education I received at Regent,” Capt. Montalvo shared, making sure to reiterate the importance of RSG in his journey and its role in preparing him for his important work.
He is a direct example of RSG’s creed to train leaders who strengthen the ethical and moral foundation of Judeo-Christian principles in government, preserving individual freedom, representative democracy, and constitutional government.
About Regent’s Resources for Active-Duty Military
Regent University’s Military Resource Center is dedicated to helping military leaders like Capt. Gary Montalvo change the world. Whether you’re on active duty, reserve, National Guard, or a veteran, you can enjoy a myriad of military benefits that leave you with little to no out-of-pocket costs as you earn a top-quality degree at a top Christian university. These benefits are available to both undergraduate and graduate military and veteran students who are seeking a degree or a certificate. Regent has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School and a Top 10 Military Friendly Spouse School for 2025-26.