User:JNeitz
| JNeitz | |
| |
| Name | John Neitz |
| Birthdate | February 21, 1965 |
| Location | Minneapolis, MN |
| Website | gryphonfleet.org |
| neitz@trmn.org | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Rank | Vice Admiral, RMN |
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VADM Sir John Neitz, KSK, KCR, MC, DSO, First Duke of Westmarch is an officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy.
Biographical Summary
Vice Admiral of the Red Sir John Neitz, Duke of Westmarch, assumed command of the Royal Manticoran Navy’s Second (Gryphon) Fleet on 22 May 2015 and served as Commanding Officer until 1 June 2019. He currently serves as Manticore King of Arms in the Royal Manticoran College of Arms. His home chapter is HMS Invincible.
The Duke of Westmarch graduated from the Royal Manticoran Naval Academy at Saganami Island, as well as the Naval War College, and is a summa cum laude member of the Ellen D'Orville Honor Society. He received a doctoral degree in Interstellar Affairs from Queen's College, Landing University.
His previous commands include HMS Merlin, aboard which he served as the founding captain of Second Fleet’s first operational ship, and then HMS Invincible. He then commanded Cruiser Division 211, Battlecruiser Squadron 21, 1st Battle Squadron, and Task Force 21, before being appointed Commanding Officer of Second Fleet.
His planetside duty assignments have included Joint Forces Special Projects for BuComm, Naval Attaché to the Manticoran College of Heralds, Director of BuShips’ Office of Shipbuilding Support, and BuNine staff member.
He was made a Knight of the Most Honorable Order of King Roger in 2012, and elevated to the title of Lord Westmarch in the peerage of the Star Kingdom in 2013. He has been awarded the Manticore Cross and the Distinguished Service Order, as well as various other gallantry, service, campaign, and unit awards. In 2012 he was appointed honorary Weapons Officer of HMS Unconquered, the RMN’s oldest commissioned warship, and in 2018 served as honorary Commanding Officer of Unconquered. In 2019 he was invested as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Star Kingdom. In 2020 he was created Duke of Westmarch. The Duke is the Regimental Colonel of the Westmarch Rifles and has been made an honorary member of the Monarch's Own Regiment for his services to the Royal Manticoran Army.
Ribbon Rack image for VADM Westmarch
Admiralty Order 1305-01: Creation of the Westmarch peerage
For the canon character Captain John Neitz of the Beowulf System Defense Force, see this entry in the Honorverse wikia.