Kristin Acquavella ’93
Kristin Acquavella is an active-duty Rear Admiral in the United States Navy who has served honorably for over three decades. She is currently the chief of staff at U.S. Transportation Command, a functional Combatant Command that serves a global mobility mission for the Department of Defense.
A four-time national soccer champion at Carolina, Acquavella exhibited exceptional leadership both on and off the field during her time as an undergraduate, earning her commission through the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program in 1993. While in the military, she has served on four ships across the globe, including two aircraft carriers and a guided missile cruiser, and was deployed in Baghdad with Multi-National Force-Iraq. She recently commanded Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, leading a 2,700-person command and providing end-to-end supply chain solutions to the warfighter.
Acquavella is a highly decorated officer with multiple personal, unit and campaign awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal. Other distinctions include being named the 1997 Commander Fleet Air Mediterranean Aviation Supply Officer of the Year and receiving the 2002 Vice Admiral Robert F. Batchelder Award, 2006 Elmer B. Staats Young Professional Excellence Award and the 2022 Jerry Yeagley Award for Exceptional Personal Achievement.
She holds a master’s degree in management from the Naval Postgraduate School and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Executive Education Program.
