Captain Dale Gregory Jr., a native of Boca Raton, Florida, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997 and was designated a Naval Flight Officer in May 1999. He holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School. In 2019, he completed the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program.
 
At sea, he served with Fighter Squadron (VF) 31 deploying twice aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72); as strike operations officer in Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 deploying aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69); as a department head in Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, deploying aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75); as commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211, leading the Checkmates on an around-the world deployment aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71); as operations officer for Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 4; as executive officer of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and as commanding officer of USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) from June 2022 to November 2023.
 
His shore tours include as an instructor in Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122 and Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School with subsequent service on the Joint Staff in the J-3 Operations Directorate at the Pentagon. He has accumulated over 2,800 flight hours and over 650 arrested landings over the course of combat deployments supporting Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn and Inherent Resolve.
 
His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (two awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Individual Air Medal with Combat “V”, Strike Flight Air Medal (seven awards), the Navy Commendation Medal (five awards including one with Combat “V”), the Navy Achievement Medal and various campaign, unit and individual awards.