Rear Adm. Luke Frost relieved Rear Adm. Michael Steffen as Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC) during a ceremony held at the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 2 (HSC-2) hangar, June 27.

Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force, presiding officer and guest speaker, thanked Steffen for his steadfast focus on warfighting readiness and positioning the Navy Reserve Force as the Strategic Advantage for the U.S. Navy.

“Throughout his 33 years of service, Rear Admiral Steffen has led by example—demonstrating a tireless commitment to mission success and the well-being of every Sailor under his command, instilling in them the values of integrity, perseverance, and service above self,” said Lacore. “The Navy Reserve is the strategic advantage of the world’s most powerful Navy and, under his stewardship at CNRFC, the Reserve Force enhanced its role as a force multiplier—providing surge capacity, specialized expertise, and operational depth that enable the Navy to deter, defend, and, if necessary, defeat our adversaries.” 

Steffen, a native of Bedford, Virginia, and a 1992 graduate of Virginia Tech, assumed command of CNRFC in July 2022. Under his exemplary leadership, he transformed the Navy Reserve Force to meet current and future operational requirements, capable of delivering 50,000 Sailors within 30 days of a mass mobilization. He was also instrumental with modernizing the information enterprise to facilitate data driven decision making which resulted in a 25 percent increase in warfighter readiness and strengthening operational agility for sustained success in the digital battlespace.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve and, reflecting on my career,  I am reminded daily of Theodore Roosevelt’s words about the ‘Man in the Arena’—that true credit belongs not to the critic, but to those who step forward, whose faces are marred by dust, sweat, and blood, who strive valiantly and dare greatly in service to a worthy cause. My career has been shaped by this philosophy: embracing challenge, standing shoulder to shoulder with shipmates, and never shying from the arena of service,” said Steffen.  “I am profoundly grateful for every Sailor and family who has shared this journey, and I remain optimistic that our unity, resilience, and devotion will continue to drive our Navy to new heights—because together, we are always in the arena, forging a future worthy of our nation’s trust.”

 Steffen’s previous flag assignments were as Deputy Commander, U.S. Second Fleet and Commandant, Naval District Washington. His sea duty tours include serving with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS-4) “Black Knights”, deploying twice with Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW 14) aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), along with four combat deployments conducting special operations in Iraq with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 4 (HCS-4) “Redwolves” and HCS-5 “Firehawks” in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has flown over 125 combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and accumulated nearly 3,000 hours of flight time with over 1,000 hours of night vision goggle time.

During the ceremony, Steffen welcomed Rear. Adm. Luke Frost and his family and praised Frost’s leadership and accomplishments.

“Rear Adm. Frost is exactly the right leader to build on our momentum and spearhead the continued modernization our Navy Reserve needs to better support our people and missions,” said Steffen. “His proven record of operational excellence and forward-thinking vision make him uniquely qualified to drive positive change for the warfighter and advance our warfighting capabilities. I am confident he will lead our team with the innovation, resolve, and commitment required to meet the challenges ahead and ensure our force remains ready on day one.”

Frost, a native of South Bend, Indiana, graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1996. His previous flag assignment was reserve director, Reserve Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. His command tours include USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), where he completed an accelerated and extended independent ballistic missile defense deployment to Middle East, and USS America (LHA 6), where he completed a homeport shift to the Western Pacific joining forward deployed Naval Forces Japan and operating extensively throughout the Indo-Pacific. 

Ashore, he has been assigned to the personal staff of a United States House of Representatives member as a Department of Defense legislative fellow, and served on the Chief of Naval Operations staff (OPNAV N095) in Washington D.C. and as assistant chief of staff for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/5), Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Additionally, Frost completed a fellowship in national security and foreign policy with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a certificate in legislative studies from Georgetown University.

“It is an incredible honor to assume command of Navy Reserve Forces Command and I am deeply inspired by the dedication of our Sailors, civilians, and families,” said Frost. “ I am committed to building on the legacy of excellence that defines this command, ensuring our Reserve Sailors remain integral to the success of our Navy’s global mission. Together, we will continue to adapt, advance, and deliver superior operational performance—empowering every Sailor to reach their fullest potential and to make certain the Navy Reserve is always prepared to answer our nation’s call, anytime and anywhere.”

The mission of the Navy Reserve is to provide strategic depth and deliver operational capabilities to the NavyMarine Corps team and Joint forces, in times of peace or war. As the Navy’s Strategic Advantage, the Reserve Force augments the active-duty component to ensure the Navy is always ready to respond, surge, and win across all domains-sea, land, air, space, and cyber.

The Navy Reserve provides essential naval warfighting capabilities and expertise, strategically aligned with mission requirements. CNRFC administers Navy Reserve programs including management of all assigned Navy Reserve resources. CNRFC operates six regional headquarters and 107 Navy Reserve Centers (NRCs), located in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam. NRCs are the readiness generation centers of the Navy Reserve that provide administrative, training and readiness support to Navy Reserve Sailors, ensuring the Navy Reserve remains warfighting ready.