Lieutenant Commander Riad "Ray" Taha, originally from Beirut, Lebanon, graduated from Rawdah High School in 2004. He pursued higher education at Portland State University in Portland, OR. After several years in the workforce, he enlisted in the United States Navy in April 2008. Following Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, IL, and Storekeeper “A” School in Meridian, MS, he reported to his first command, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) in Yokosuka, Japan in November 2008. LCDR Taha graduated from Excelsior College, NY with a Bachelor's of Science. He was commissioned via the Navy’s Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI, in December 2012 as a Surface Warfare Officer.
Duty Stations:
- USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), Yokosuka, Japan (enlisted)
- PCRON One, Manama, Bahrain (enlisted)
- USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) as Force Protection Officer
- USS Detroit (LCS-7) as Main Propulsion Officer
- ATG Mayport, Florida, as Training Liaison Officer and Fleet Schedules
- USS Cooperstown (LCS-23) as Chief Engineer
- COMLCSRON Two, as N7A and Overall Mobility and SAR Warfare Lead
- Destroyer Squadron Four Zero/Commander Task Force Four Five, as the N4
- Commander Fourth Fleet/NAVY SOUTH as N43 (Maintenance & Readiness Officer)
LCDR Taha reported to NSA Panama City, FL, as the Executive Officer in August 2024.
LCDR Taha is a qualified Surface Warfare Officer and holds a Master's in National Security from the Naval War College. He is fluent in all dialects of Arabic. His personal awards include two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Good Conduct Award, Navy Expert Rifle and Expert Pistol Medals, and various unit awards.
Last Updated: 5 September 2024