Karl O. Thomas

Karl Owen Thomas (born November 1, 1963) is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare and Director of Naval Intelligence. He most recently served as the 53rd commander of the United States Seventh Fleet from 2021 to 2024.

Biography
Born in Fairfax, Virginia, and raised in Northern Virginia, Thomas earned a bachelor's degree in management systems from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1986. He later received a Master of Science degree in information technology from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Thomas started off as a carrier aviator in the E-2C Hawkeye; he rose quickly to serve as commanding officer of VAW-117 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has served on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), USS George Washington (CVN-73), U.S. 6th Fleet Command Ship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20), USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Thomas served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 for a time, deploying on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) out of Yokosuka, Japan. While in that role he took the opportunity to stress "Freedom of Navigation Operations" when his weaker allies couldn't. CVN 76 transited the South China Sea regularly in order to send a message to Beijing that the seas must be free and open.

He then served as Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy.

In April 2021, he was nominated for promotion to vice admiral and assignment to relieve Vice Admiral William R. Merz as commander of the United States Seventh Fleet.