Deterring major conflicts in the Middle East and Europe is the 6th Fleet’s “No. 1 mission,” says Ishee

NAPLES, Italy — The growing risk of all-out war in the Middle East and ongoing Russian aggression in Europe are among the greatest challenges facing the Navy in the region, one of the Navy's highest-ranking officers said as he bid farewell to command of the U.S. 6th Fleet.

Recent attacks on Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon with exploding pagers and walkie-talkies that killed dozens and injured thousands, as well as the terror group's announcement of retaliation against Israel, pose the very real potential for serious miscalculations, Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee said Friday.

“It could very easily lead to a situation where there is an escalation and then Israel decides to escalate the situation again and then we are on the way to a larger war,” Ishee said. “That is my fear.”

Ishee said he believed neither Hezbollah nor Israel wanted to see a major conflict, “but both have their own goals and that's why they keep shooting at each other. And there could easily be a mistake, like the Hezbollah rocket that hit a soccer field in July,” killing 12 Israeli children.

Vice Admiral Jeffrey Anderson speaks during a ceremony Sept. 20, 2024. Anderson assumed command of U.S. 6th Fleet, NATO Naval Striking and Support Forces, and Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Europe during a ceremony aboard the amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney in Naples, Italy. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

There is also potential for mistakes in Europe, says Ishee. There, Russia is operating “on the edge, in the grey zone” where it is about provoking a major war. Mistakes have led to wars on the continent in the past.

Keeping Moscow in check will require a strong US commitment to NATO and a continued demonstration of the alliance's capabilities and unity, he said.

“Hopefully Russia will realize this and think that today is not a good day to attack NATO,” Ishee said, adding that he did not believe the Kremlin wanted a major war.

Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee is greeted by Sailors as he departs a change of command ceremony aboard the USS Mount Whitney in Naples, Italy, Sept. 24, 2022. Ishee, who served as commander of U.S. 6th Fleet, NATO Naval Striking and Support Forces, and Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Europe since September 2022, will retire. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

Ishee made the remarks after relinquishing command of the 6th Fleet, NATO's Naval Striking and Support Forces and the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Europe to Vice Admiral Jeffrey Anderson during a ceremony aboard the amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney in Naples.

Admiral Stuart Munsch, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command in Naples, presided over the change of command, making Anderson the 50th commander of the 6th Fleet.

Anderson, a 1991 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, served in numerous squadrons flying F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets and deployed in support of Operations Deliberate Forge, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve, according to his Navy biography.

During these missions, the soldier from Fayetteville, Georgia, served on board the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Harry S. Truman.

Vice Admiral Jeffrey Anderson, left, salutes Admiral Stuart Munsch, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command, Naples, during a change of command ceremony aboard USS Mount Whitney in Naples, Italy, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

More recently, Anderson served as the Navy's deputy director for political and military affairs in Asia, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3 on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and director of operations for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, according to the Navy.

As the second-highest-ranking naval officer in Europe, Ishee led the U.S. 6th Fleet during a resurgence of Cold War-like sentiments in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022 and security threats following the deadly Hamas attack in Israel last year.

Munsch praised Ishee for his leadership during naval operations in the Eastern Mediterranean aimed at deterring Iran and its proxies in Lebanon and Yemen from provoking a larger war. Ishee also led the service's response to humanitarian crises in Turkey and the Gaza Strip.

Because of these events, the fleet has shifted its focus from exercises with allies and partners to a world where “we are preparing our ships to go into areas where they could be fired upon,” Ishee said.

“We continue to operate today amid two intense conflicts in the war zone and a significant threat to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” said Ishee, who plans to retire.