UNCLASSIFIED//
ROUTINE
R 022353Z SEP 09
BT
UNCLAS
PASS TO OFFICE CODES:
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
UNCLAS //N05000//
NAVADMIN 256/09

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/SEP//

SUBJ/PASSING OF RADM (RET) WAYNE E. MEYER// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  IT IS WITH PROFOUND SADNESS THAT I REPORT THE 
PASSING OF REAR ADMIRAL (RETIRED) WAYNE E. MEYER, USN.  ADMIRAL MEYER, 
KNOWN AS THE "FATHER OF AEGIS", WAS A TOWERING FIGURE IN OUR NAVY'S 
SUCCESS OVER THE PAST FOUR DECADES.  FROM 1970 TO HIS RETIREMENT IN 
1985, HE BRILLIANTLY LED A TEAM OF DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS WHO 
PIONEERED THE WORLD'S FOREMOST ANTI-AIR WARFARE SYSTEM, AEGIS.

2.  HIS DISCIPLINED APPROACH OF "BUILD A LITTLE, TEST A LITTLE, LEARN A 
LOT" CAST ENGINEERING BRILLIANCE INTO COMBAT SYSTEMS DESIGNS THAT 
ULTIMATELY SERVED AS THE BACKBONE OF OUR TICONDEROGA AND ARLEIGH BURKE-
CLASS SHIPS.  SIMPLY PUT, REAR ADMIRAL MEYER'S VISION, PERSISTENCE, AND 
LEADERSHIP WERE THE CARDINAL HEADINGS FROM WHICH OUR NAVY SAILED INTO 
THE FUTURE.

3.  TODAY OUR SURFACE NAVY IS LARGELY AN AEGIS FLEET.  AEGIS IS ALSO OF 
GROWING IMPORTANCE TO THE AUSTRALIAN, KOREAN, SPANISH, AND NORWEGIAN 
NAVIES AND THE JAPANESE MARITIME SELF DEFENSE FORCE.
ADDITIONALLY, HIS VISION SERVED AS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR NATION'S 
AFLOAT BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE CAPABILITY, AGAIN, THE FINEST IN THE 
WORLD.

4.  REAR ADMIRAL MEYER IS SURVIVED BY HIS LOVING WIFE, ANNA MAE, THREE 
ADULT CHILDREN, PAULA, JAMES, AND ROBERT, TWO STEPCHILDREN, ANNA AND 
EDWARD AND FOUR GRANDCHILDREN, AND BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY FAMILY 
THAT HE LED AND PROTECTED BEHIND THE SHIELD OF AEGIS FOR NEARLY FOUR 
DECADES.  HIS RICH LEGACY OF SERVICE AND INNOVATION WILL BE WITH US IN 
EVERY AEGIS SHIP AND, MOST POWERFULLY, IN USS WAYNE E. MEYER (DDG 108) 
THAT WILL BE COMMISSIONED ON 10 OCTOBER 2009.

5.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//

BT
#0001
NNNN