Rear Adm. Dan “Undra” Cheever is a native of Downers Grove, Illinois and is a 1986 graduate of Western Illinois University with a bachelor of business degree. After college, he worked for a Fortune 500 corporation and attended the University of Hawaii. He joined the Navy in 1988 and was designated a naval aviator in 1990.

Cheever’s sea tours include command of Carrier Strike Group FOUR; CAG tour with CVW-8 in Oceana, Virginia aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) from 2012 to 2015; commanding officer tour with Strike Fighter Squadron 147 (VFA-147) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, California on USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) from 2005 to 2008; department head tour with VFA-147 from 2000 to 2002; Strike Fighter Tactics instructor tour with VFA-146 from 1998 to 2000; junior officer tour with VFA-195 in Atsugi, Japan on USS Independence (CV 62) from 1991 to 1995.

He served as the naval amphibious liaison element for Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet at 17th Air Force in Ramstein, Germany, and as battle director at Combined Air and Space Operations Center, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in 2011.

His shore tours include commander, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, Fallon, Nevada from 2017 to 2019; chief of staff to Commander, Naval Air Forces, North Island, California 2015 to 2017; department head for Topgun and Strike at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, Nevada from 2008 to 2011; aide de camp to Gen. Richard B. Myers, U.S. Air Force, 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon from 2002 to 2004; instructor, Navy Fighter Weapons School, Miramar, California / Naval Strike, and Air Warfare Center, Fallon, Nevada from 1995 to 1998; VFA-125, NAS, Lemoore, California from 1990 to1991.

Cheever is the director of Strategy, Policy & Plans (J5), North American Aerospace Defense Command and the United States Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

He is responsible for North American Aerospace Defense Command strategy, policy, plans, and requirements development for the safeguarding of the United States and Canada via assigned missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning. For the U.S. Northern Command, he leads the development of strategy, policy, deliberate plans, and security cooperation with Canada, Mexico, and The Bahamas, to accomplish primary missions of homeland defense and support to civil authorities.

Cheever has accumulated over 5,000 flight hours and over 1,100 carrier-arrested landings. His decorations include the Legion of Merit (three awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Air Medal Strike/Flight, and various campaigns, units, and services awards.