CAPT Steven Swift '87, USNR (Ret.)

Tampa bay, FL, Chapter Trustee

A native of Syracuse, New York, CAPT Steve Swift graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute.From 1987-1989, he attended Nuclear Power School and Prototype, and Submarine Officer School. He was then assigned to the USS Seahorse (SSN-669) at Charleston, S.C. where he received his Submarine Officer Warfare pin. In 1992, CDR Swift was assigned to Submarine Officer School, in Groton, CT, where he taught Submarine Officer Basic and Advanced course, and obtained his Master Training Specialist (MTS) certification, and where he was named instructor of the year.

After successful tours he left active duty to pursue a career in business with American Power Conversion as the Florida State Sales Engineer, IKON – Technology Services, as a Regional Manager, and Progress Energy as a District Operations Manager. CAPT Swift resumed his Navy career as a Reserve Officer and in 1998 as he was assigned to US Central Command Intelligence 108 at MacDill AFB, FL, where he served as the Operations Officer. In 2001, following 9/11 he was mobilized to US Central Command Joint Intelligence Center in the Horn of Africa Analyst Branch, where he was the lead Maritime Interdiction Operations Officer for the Intelligence Directorate. Following his mobilization, in late 2002, he was selected as Executive Officer of Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Intelligence unit 0274 at Naval Station Mayport, FL.

Following a successful one-year tour, in late 2003, he was selected to be the Director of Basic Reserve Intelligence Training (BRIT) for Reserve Intelligence Area Thirteen (RIA13) at NAS Jacksonville, FL. During this assignment, he was again mobilized to US Central Command in the Intelligence Directorate Targets Branch, where he was a major contributor to Time Sensitive Targeting while standing watch as the lead JIOC watch stander for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. He was then the team lead for Counter-Terrorism targets, culminating with a four-month tour in Bagram, Afghanistan with the Joint Intelligence Agency Task Force.

In 2006, he returned to the Central Command Intelligence Reserve unit, and was then selected to be Executive Officer of Central Command Intelligence Unit 174 at MacDill AFB, Tampa. Following a successful XO tour, in 2009, he was selected to be the Commanding Officer of STRATOM Cruise Missile Support Activity, Atlantic in Norfolk, VA. Following this high op-tempo tour, he was selected to lead the Naval Criminal Investigative Service 1274 as Commanding Officer in December 2011, culminating with the unit selection as the small unit O’Connell award recipient for 2013. CAPT Swift was then selected for his third Commanding Officer tour as Commanding Officer of NR JICCENT 0274 in Jacksonville, Florida.

In his civilian career, CAPT Swift transitioned from the corporate world to the government world in 2007, and retired as a Defense Intelligence Agency team lead at Central Command Intelligence Plans Directorate as a lead planner for J2 Plans Central. In addition to his retiring out of Central Command and the Navy in 2016 and 2017 respectively, he served (and continues to serve) as the U.S. Naval Academy Blue & Gold Officer Area Coordinator for Area #213 (Greater Tampa Bay area), and he sat on the Area Coordinator Steering Committee as the Southeast representative, advising the Dean of Admissions and helping coordinate field activities from 2011-2020, culminating as the chairman his final three years in his final term.

CAPT Swift lives in Brandon, FL (east Tampa) with his wife Kris (married 25 years). He enjoys traveling on cruises, and competing in and coaching those that compete in endurance triathlons and running events, as he is a certified USAT triathlon and RRCA running coach.