Jeff LaDouce was commissioned
as an Ensign, U.S. Navy upon graduation from the Naval
Academy in June 1968. Following completion of flight training
in September 1969, he was designated a Naval Aviator and
helicopter pilot. He joined Helicopter Combat Support
Squadron Four in Lakehurst, NJ, where he completed two
deployments to Gaeta, Italy flying helicopters off the
Sixth Fleet Flag ships, USS LITTLE ROCK and USS SPRINGFIELD.
He later served as Officer-in-Charge of the helicopter
detachment supporting the Commander of Amphibious Forces,
Atlantic in Norfolk, VA.
Captain LaDouce attended
the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, receiving
a M.S. in Meteorology in March of 1975. After two tours
in Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (Light) Three Seven,
based at Barbers Point, HI, and a tour instructing meteorology
at the Naval Academy, he joined the Naval Meteorology
and Oceanography Command Headquarters Staff, Stennis Space
Center, MS in May of 1983 as the requirements officer.
Following his initial tour on the Headquarters Staff he
was assigned as the Executive Officer of the Naval Oceanography
Command Center/Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Guam from
1986-1989 and ship and aircraft operations officer at
the Naval Oceanographic Office, Stennis Space Center,
MS (1989-1991).
After a brief return tour
on the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Headquarters
Staff as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Navy Emerging
Systems, establishing requirements and programs to support
of the Navy’s newest weapons systems and sensors,
he was assigned as the Staff Oceanographer /Meteorologist
for the Commanders of the U.S. Pacific Command and U.S.
Pacific Fleet. In July 1994 Captain LaDouce, assumed Command
of the Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center,
Pearl Harbor, HI, responsible for the U.S. Navy’s
meteorology and oceanography support from the western
U.S. to the east coast of Africa. He returned to the Naval
Meteorology and Oceanography Headquarters Staff serving
as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Assistant
Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs.
Following retirement from
the Navy in May of 1998, Captain LaDouce joined Lockheed
Martin Corporation as the operations manager supporting
NASA’s commercial remote sensing program located
at Stennis Space Center, MS. He took over as the Director,
National Weather Service, Pacific Region on May 6, 2002 .