Biography

Raymond D. Kemp, Sr. is a retired U.S. Navy Fleet Master Chief and an experienced leadership and organizational consultant. He entered the Navy in June 1986 as a Data Processing Technician and went on to serve for more than three decades in increasingly senior leadership positions.

His sea-duty assignments included USS Independence (CV 62), USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Commander Amphibious Group One, and USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). His shore assignments included Naval Security Station Washington, Tactical Support Center San Diego, Commander Naval Space Command, and OPNAV Communications Information Systems and Network (N6) in Washington, D.C.

Selected for the Command Master Chief Program in 2009, Kemp attended the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy before serving in Command Master Chief assignments aboard USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), as well as with the Navy Inspector General. He ultimately served as Fleet Master Chief for U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa, where his leadership responsibilities extended across a force of more than 56,000 service members, civilians, contractors, and family members.

Throughout his naval career, Kemp completed combat deployments in the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Fleet areas of responsibility and participated in operations including Desert Storm, Restore Hope, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. His qualifications and awards include Enlisted Surface Warfare, Enlisted Aviation Warfare, and Enlisted Information Warfare qualifications; two Meritorious Service Medals; four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals; three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals; a Combat Action Ribbon; and various unit and campaign awards.

Following his naval career, Kemp continued his work in leadership and organizational development through Kemp Solutions, providing leadership and human-resources consulting informed by his experience at senior levels of the U.S. Navy.