Rear Admiral Stephen A. Turcotte is the Commander of the Naval Safety Center in Norfolk, Virginia. He graduated from Marquette University NROTC in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science. Upon graduation, he was ordered to flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1977. A seasoned and decorated aviator, Turcotte has flown more than 5,500 flight hours in 15 different aircraft and logged over 500 carrier landings. He has earned Masters Degrees in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and in Management from Salve Regina University. His tours have included several aviation squadrons, as well as shipboard and staff assignments. He commanded an aviation squadron, has served on the Joint Staff (Operations Division), was Commanding Officer of the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, and served as Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force Southwest Asia at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. In January 2002, he became the 48th Commander of the Naval Safety Center, the Navy's leading organization responsible for accident investigations, mishap analysis and dissemination of information to the fleet.