A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Rear Adm. Michael Jabaley graduated with high honors from Vanderbilt University in 1984 with Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science, and was commissioned via Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.

Jabaley holds a master’s degree in engineering administration from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in business administration from the Naval Postgraduate School, and is a graduate of the Command and Staff Course of the Naval War College and of the Joint and Command Staff Officer School of the Armed Forces Staff College (National Defense University).

Jabaley’s sea tours include assignments aboard USS Drum (SSN 677), USS Ohio (SSBN 726), USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) and command of USS Louisville (SSN 724) from May 2002 to August 2004.

On shore, Jabaley has served on the staff of commander, Submarine Group 8 in Naples, Italy; as a technical assistant to the director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion; on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as an operations officer in nuclear operations; as senior inspector of the Tactical Readiness Evaluation Team and Force Navigator on the staff of commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and as deputy commander, Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 1 in Pearl Harbor.

Jabaley served in the Virginia Class Submarine Program Office from 2006 to 2012, the last four years as program manager, delivering four of the Navy’s newest fast attack submarines.

Jabaley was selected for flag rank in 2011. His flag assignments include Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) vice commander, command of Naval Undersea Warfare Center and NAVSEA deputy commander for Undersea Warfare. Jabaley was selected for his second star in March 2015 and relieved as program executive officer (PEO) Submarines in October 2015. His portfolio includes the Ohio Replacement SSBN and Virginia SSN programs, which are the 2nd and 3rd largest programs in the Department of Defense.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. He is the first recipient of the Naval Submarine League’s Vice Admiral J. Guy Reynolds Award for Excellence in Submarine Acquisition. He is proudest of the accomplishments of his crew in earning the SUBRON-3 Battle Efficiency Award, awarded to USS Louisville in January 2004, and the accomplishments of his staff in earning the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award, awarded to the Virginia Program Office in October 2008.