Selected for two stars

Navy Supply Corps Newsletter, May-June, 2003

Rear Admiral Steven W. Maas has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (upper half). Maas is currently serving as Director, Logistics and Fleet Supply Officer, N41, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Va.

RADM (Sel) Maas is a native of Decatur, Ga. He received a bachelor's degree from Furman University, a Master in Business Administration from University of Puget Sound, and is a graduate of the Naval War College and the Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He was commissioned in 1973.

His sea tours include supply officer on USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN 640), USS Indianapolis (SSN 697), and USS L. Y. Spear (AS 36). While aboard L. Y. Spear he deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Storm.

His shore assignments include director for Plans, Programs and Budget, Submarine Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; assistant chief of staff for supply and financial management for the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; and deputy director, Supply Programs and Policy Division, Chief of Naval Operations. He also served as the director of Supply Corps Personnel, Millington, Tenn.; and as commander, Navy, Exchange Service Command.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and other personal and campaign awards. He is designated as both a Submarine and Surface Warfare Supply Corps Officer.

Rear Admiral Robert E. Cowley III, has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (upper half). He is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Acquisition Management for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition). He also serves as the Competition Advocate General of the Navy.

RADM (Sel) Cowley is a graduate of the University of Dallas at Irving, Texas. He completed his masters degree at George Mason University and is also a graduate of the Executive Program at the University of Michigan Business School. Moving from enlisted ranks, Cowley obtained his commission through Aviation Officer Candidate School.

Cowley previously served as the assistant commander for contracts, Naval Air Systems Command. His broad range of experience in the acquisition field includes tours as the special assistant to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition); deputy for program support in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Acquisition and Business Management) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition); deputy director for Tactical Aircraft Contracts, Naval Air Systems Command; director, Contracts Department, Navy Regional Contracting Center, Washington, D.C.; contracting officer, Navy Regional Contracting Center Branch, Washington, D.C.; and contracting specialist, SSN-688 Class Submarines, the Naval Sea Systems Command.

His operational tours include damage control assistant, auxiliaries officer and navigator, USS San Diego (AFS 6); supply officer, USS Bowen (FF 1079); assistant supply officer, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71); and supply officer, USS Enterprise (CVN 65).

Naval Reserve Rear Admiral (lower half) Fenton F. Priest III has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral. Priest is currently serving as Assistant to the Director, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Logistics Support Command, Fort Belvoir, Va.

A native of Norfolk, Va., RADM (Sel) Priest received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Virginia.

Commissioned an ensign through the NROTC program, he served as assistant supply, disbursing, and ship's services officer aboard the USS El Paso (LKA 117) and assistant to the director of the Naval Audit Service, Southeast Region. He was recalled to active duty in 1991 in support of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm and served as officer-in-charge of Reserve Operations at the Naval Supply Center, Norfolk.

Priest's Selected Reserve assignments have included assistant chief of staff for Plans and Policy at the Logistic Task Force, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va.; commanding officer of Naval Supply Systems Command Headquarters, Mechanicsburg, Pa.; commanding officer of Fleet and Industrial Supply Center-Ocean Terminal, Norfolk, Va., where his unit received the National Defense Transportation Association Military Unit Award; and executive officer and commanding officer of Naval Supply Center, Norfolk, Headquarters 106 Norfolk, Va., and Detachment 606, Baltimore, Md., respectively.

Priest's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), the Navy Achievement Medal, and various unit and service awards.

In his civilian career, Priest is president of Priest Electronics, Inc., with wholesale distribution retail sales and technical training operations in Chesapeake, Va.