Rear Admiral Craig Wood CBE

Deputy Commander Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO)

In April 2024, Rear Admiral Craig Wood assumed the duties of Deputy Commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), headquartered in Portugal. Under SACEUR’s Operational Command, STRIKFORNATO integrates the most powerful combat credible maritime strike forces on Earth into NATO operations, providing strategic effects across the Alliance's Theatre of Operations. Craig was educated in the Highlands of Scotland and joined the Royal Navy in 1989. Junior warfare officer appointments included the mine countermeasures vessel HMS QUORN as Navigating Officer, the Destroyer HMS GLASGOW and as the first Navigating Officer of the frigate HMS GRAFTON. Second-in-Command of the fishery protection vessel HMS LINDISFARNE was followed by Command of the Gibraltar Squadron patrol vessel HMS TRUMPETER. He undertook Principal Warfare Officer training in 2001-2 and was appointed to the frigate HMS MARLBOROUGH as the Operations Officer for the Naval Task Group 2003 deployment, which included, literally, the opening salvoes of the liberation of Iraq