Michael Colley
{{Short description|United States Navy admiral (1938–2013)}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Michael C. Colley
| image = Portrait of US Navy Rear Admiral (upper half) Michael C. Colley.jpg
| caption = Colley as a Rear Admiral in 1987
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1938|2|19|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|1|19|1938|2|19|mf=y}}
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| placeofburial =
| birth_place = Wheaton, Minnesota
| death_place = Gulf Shores, Alabama
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flagu|United States|1960}}
| branch = {{Naval|United States}}
| serviceyears =
| rank = Vice admiral
| unit =
| commands = {{USS|Narwhal|SSN-671}}
{{USS|Proteus|AS-19}}
Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet
| battles = Gulf War
| awards =
| relations =
| laterwork = Libertarian Party
}}
Michael Christian Colley,{{cite web |url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgZDb2xsZXkSB01pY2hhZWwaAUM-/ |title=Colley, Michael Christian |website=ANCExplorer |publisher=U.S. Army |access-date=2021-03-16}} USN (Ret.), (February 19, 1938 – January 19, 2013) was a United States Navy officer who served as vice admiral{{Citation |last= Rhodes |first= Richard|authorlink= Richard Rhodes|year= 2008|title= Arsenals of Folly: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race|publisher= Knopf Doubleday|page= 90|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=x0l3R0BMR6YC&dq=%22michael+colley%22+admiral&pg=PA90 |isbn=9780375713941}} Retrieved February 1, 2023.{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2007/07/16/US-admiral-Let-military-plan-Iraq-exit/UPI-27291184618890/|title=U.S. admiral: Let military plan Iraq exit|date=July 16, 2007|access-date=February 1, 2023|publisher=United Press International}} and whose career included several high-ranking commands in the submarine force and elsewhere in national security positions.Thompson, Steven (April 1991) [https://books.google.com/books?id=fwF0CCddsgcC&dq=%22michael+colley%22+submarine&pg=RA3-PA15 "Sea Cliff (DSV 4)"], All Hands. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
Early life
Colley was born in Wheaton, Minnesota, on February 19, 1938.[https://books.google.com/books?id=uy1SAAAAIBAJ&dq=michael+colley+wheaton&pg=PA9&article_id=5527,5280866 "Sub Squandron Two command changed"], The Day, July 28, 1984.
Military career
Colley graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in June 1960.{{cite news |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=michael-c-colley&pid=168541595 |title=Michael C. Colley |date=December 15, 2013 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2021-03-16}} He had sea duty assignments on several nuclear-powered submarines and was Commanding Officer of the attack submarine {{USS|Narwhal|SSN-671|2}}. He was Commander of the Navy Recruiting Command for three years, and Deputy Commander of the submarine directorate in the Pentagon. He earned a master's degree in Computer Systems from the Naval Postgraduate School. Other operational assignments included command of the submarine tender {{USS|Proteus|AS-19|2}} in Guam and the Navy's largest submarine squadron in Groton, Connecticut. During the first Gulf War, he was commander of the Pacific Fleet submarine force of over 40 boats from his headquarters at Pearl Harbor. Earlier, he was Director, Division of Mathematics and Science (including the departments of math, physics, chemistry, oceanography and computer science) at the Naval Academy.
Activism and views
After leaving the navy, Colley was active in the national security policy and analysis field, intelligence evaluation and senior management level positions in the public sector. He joined the Libertarian Party in 2003 and served as an elected member of the Libertarian National Committee from 2004 to 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lp.org/blogs-staff-the-libertarian-party-remembers-admiral-michael-c-colley/|title = The Libertarian Party Remembers Admiral Michael C. Colley|date = September 13, 2013}} Colley always advocated that the purpose of the United States military was defense and "not to serve as the world policeman," or "build democracy or engage in nation-building." Colley was interested in civil liberties issues and opposed government regulation "of all facets of our lives." On immigration, he welcomed people coming to the United States to "enjoy the freedoms we have" and opposed building a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Death
Admiral Colley died unexpectedly at his home in Gulf Shores, Alabama on January 19, 2013.{{cite web |url=http://honor.americanheart.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1030&pxfid=249245 |title=American Heart/American Stroke Association |publisher=Honor.americanheart.org |date= |access-date=July 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172309/http://honor.americanheart.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1030&pxfid=249245 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }} The ashes of Colley and his wife Arlen Carol Colley (1938–2001) were interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060823151551/http://www.csp.navy.mil/admirals/colley.htm Submarine Force Pacific Fleet]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110521000312/http://www.lpalabama.org/pages/colley Libertarian Party of Alabama : Colley]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colley, Michael}}
Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Category:Military personnel from Minnesota
Category:Naval Postgraduate School alumni
Category:People from Gulf Shores, Alabama
Category:People from Traverse County, Minnesota
Category:United States Naval Academy alumni