Philip Sobeck

Rear Admiral Philip E. Sobeck, U.S. Navy (Retired), is a maritime security expert who commanded eight operational commands worldwide over a 36-year career, protecting sea lanes and national security interests. He most recently served as Commander, Military Sealift Command (2023–2025), overseeing more than 150 government and commercial vessels and support for 10,000-plus civil service mariners, while leading a $6.5 billion Navy and Transportation working-capital-funded organization.
Rear Admiral Sobeck previously served as Director, Strategy, Policy and Logistics (J5/4) at U.S. Transportation Command, appointed Global Bulk Fuel Manager for the Department of Defense. As Commanding Officer, Logistics Group Western Pacific in Singapore, he built resilient logistics in contested environments, earning “Best Logistics Organization” for 2021. He commanded Expeditionary Strike Group THREE, leading the Navy’s largest strike group and delivering its first certified afloat-ashore Expeditionary Task Force. Earlier commands included Director, 21st Century Sailor; Executive Director, Digital Warfare Office; Senior Military Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy; and Director, Future Force Design and Architecture.
A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Rear Admiral Sobeck holds an M.A. in Organizational Management from George Washington University and completed executive education at Harvard’s Kennedy School, MIT’s Seminar XXI, and UVA’s Darden School of Business.