Boston

Navy Rear Adm. Victor Beck

October 21, 2010(FHTNC)--Navy Rear Adm. Victor Beck, whose wife, Debby, is the daughter of Shirley and James W. Silverberg of White Plains, N. Y., was recently promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral while attached to U.S. Navy Chief of Information, Washington, D. C. Beck was commissioned in 1985 upon graduation from Officer Candidate School in Newport, R. I. His first shipboard tour was in the Engineering Department aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) home ported in Norfolk, Va., where he qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer. He completed a follow on assignment as navigator of USS Richard E. Byrd (DDG 23) home ported in Norfolk, Va., prior to attending the Department of Defense Information School in 1990. During the next two years, he was the assistant director of the Navy Office of Information New England located in Boston, Mass. He detached from active duty in 1992 and affiliated with the Navy Reserve Navy Office of Information (NR NAVINFO) New England. Beck has held various billets during his reserve service, including operations officer with NR NAVINFO New England, public affairs officer for Navy Readiness Command Northeast, executive officer of NR NAVINFO N. Y. and director of the Naval War College Public Affairs Reserve Unit. He has also served as an individual mobilization augmentee at U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. and in the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D. C. Beck is currently mobilized and is serving as the Director of Public Affairs for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. He was previously mobilized from April 2007 to April 2008. During this tour he was initially assigned to lead an International Media Engagement Team in Dubai, but in August 2007 he transferred to Multi-National Force Iraq as the Chief of Media Operations, serving in Baghdad during the surge of operations until April 2008. An award-winning strategic communicator, in his civilian career Beck has held various positions of increasing responsibility in public relations, marketing, media relations and account management at public relations firms and corporations. Beck's military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (four awards), and various service and campaign awards. Source: Armed Forces News Services