Jon Duffy
Jon Duffy is a Senior Resident Fellow at The La Jolla Center for Pacific Strategy and a contributing opinion writer for the Los Angeles Times. His work focuses on maritime strategy, alliances, civil-military relations, and the responsibilities of military leadership.
A retired U.S. Navy captain, Duffy served nearly 30 years as a surface warfare officer. He commanded two destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser and served as commodore of Destroyer Squadron 15, homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. His seven sea tours included extensive experience in the western Pacific.
Ashore, Duffy served as Director of Defense Policy and Strategy on the National Security Council at the White House and directed the Commander’s Action Group at U.S. Pacific Fleet. He also taught at the U.S. Naval Academy, led the Navy’s Surface Warfare tactics school, and served in the Navy’s Office of Legislative Affairs.
Duffy is pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego. His research examines how fear, integrity, and institutional loyalty shape leaders’ decisions to speak up or remain silent in high-stakes organizations.
Credentials & Affiliations
- M.S., Leadership and Human Resources Development, Naval Postgraduate School
- B.S., Physics, United States Naval Academy