Rear Admiral Voelker, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, attended the US Naval Academy and graduated with the class of 1972. Following a year of postgraduate school, he was awarded an MS degree and subsequently attended nuclear power and basic submarine training.
His operational tours include service in four attack submarines as a Division Officer in USS Sturgeon (SSN 637), as Engineer in USS Seahorse (SSN 669), as Executive Officer of USS San Francisco (SSN 711), and in command of USS Helena (SSN 725) from 1987 to 1990. While under his command, Helena conducted two extended Northern Pacific operations and a deployment to the Western Pacific. He served briefly as Deputy Commander of Submarine Squadron One and later commanded Submarine Group Nine, responsible for the Pacific Fleet’s Trident Submarine Force.
Rear Admiral Voelker’s shore duty assignments include service in the Bureau of Naval Personnel as the Submarine Department Head Assignment Officer, at Pacific Fleet Headquarters as Executive Assistant and Senior Naval Aide to the Deputy Commander in Chief and Chief of Staff, as a Division Director for the Director of Naval Intelligence in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Joint Staff. While a member of the Joint Staff, Rear Adm. Voelker served as the Director of the Commander in Chief (CINC) Liaison Office and later as Executive Assistant to the Director of Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment (J-8). He then served as Executive Assistant and Senior Military Aide to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He relieved as Commander, Navy Recruiting Command in September 2000 and retired in 2003.
Rear Admiral Voelker has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three Gold Stars instead of second through fourth awards, the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three Gold Stars, the Navy, and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, as well as various unit and service awards.
Following his retirement from the Navy, Rear Admiral Voelker served in various executive positions for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and later as a Managing Director with Accenture Federal Services, retiring in 2016. He currently serves as the President of The Flag and General Officers’ Network (TFGON), a national 501(c)(19) war veterans’ network of more than 2,000 active & retired admirals & generals. Additionally, he is an active Trustee in the Athletic & Scholarship Division of the Naval Academy Foundation.
