VADM Jerry O. Tuttle was born in Hatfield, Indiana; awarded the American Spirit Honor Medal upon graduation from Enlisted Recruit Training in March 1955; selected for the Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD) Program; and designated a Naval Aviator and commissioned in October 1956. He was Navy's Gray Eagle signifying the earliest designated Naval Aviator on active duty.
His career has included assignments to the staff of the Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; Attack Squadrons FORTY FOUR, FIFTEEN, ONE TWELVE, ONE SEVENTY FOUR and EIGHTY ONE; Fighter Squadron ONE TWELVE and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He has served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He has commanded Attack Squadron EIGHTY ONE, Carrier Air Wing THREE, replenishment ship USS KALAMAZOO (AOR 6), aircraft carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 67), Carrier Group EIGHT and Carrier Group TWO/Battle Force SIXTH Fleet. He has served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations and as Deputy Director for Intelligence and External Affairs at the Defense Intelligence Agency. V ADM Tuttle was the Naval Inspector General from August 1984 to November 1985, after which he was Deputy and Chief of Staff for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. In May 1987, he was assigned as Director, Command, Control and Communications Systems, The Joint Staff. In May 1989, he assumed his assignment as Director, Space and Electronic Warfare.
V ADM Tuttle's personal decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Service Medal (2); Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit (4); Distinguished Flying Cross (3); Meritorious Service Medal (2); Air Medal (23) - five individual and 18 strike/flight awards; Navy Commendation Medal (4); and various campaign awards. He flew over 220 combat missions over North Vietnam, logged more than 500 jet flight hours, and has more than 1,000 arrested carrier landings. He received the 1978 Navy League's John Paul Jones Award for inspirational leadership, the 1983 Association of Old Crows Award for his contributions to electronic warfare, the 1989 AFCEAN of the year in recognition of his contributions to the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), the 1991 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence Award for his contribution to the overall effectiveness of C3I Systems, and the AFCEA 1992 Jon L. Boyes Award for major contributions to that international organization. He was chosen as one of Federal Computer Week's 1991 and 1992 Federal 100. He received the Washington Space Business Roundtable, 1993 Excellence in Government Award. He was inducted into the Government Computer News Information Resources Management Hall of Fame in 1993 and has been selected to receive the 1994 America Astronautical Society Military Astronautics Award.
V ADM Tuttle retired from active duty on 1 January 1994.