2025 Red Tie Award Winners Announced!

Mr. Robert “Bob” Wilson - Posthumously

NIP recognizes Robert “Bob” Wilson, posthumously, as one of two 2025 Red Tie Award winners. He has earned the respect, admiration, and appreciation of all Naval Intelligence Professionals through his long and distinguished 33-year career in Naval Intelligence.   

Born in Waterbury, Connecticut on 26 May 1948, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in January 1969 and became a member of the Air Force Security Service as a Chinese linguist. Between June 1970 and February 1972, he frequently flew reconnaissance missions on RC-135 aircraft over the South China Sea in support of U.S. military operations in Vietnam. In February 1972, Bob was assigned to the Air Force Support Group at Fort Meade, Maryland and discharged from the Air Force in February 1973.

Bob was hired as a civilian intelligence analyst by the Naval Ocean Surveillance Information Center (NOSIC) in March 1974 and was assigned watch standing duties on the Merchant Shipping desk in NOSIC’s Current Operations Center. In 1978, he moved to NOSIC’s submarine desk as a watch stander and rose to the position of the head of the submarine desk in 1980, from which he built a strong and highly capable corps of analysts into the foremost experts in foreign submarine activities.

In 1985, Bob became the division head of a newly formed analytic group responsible for monitoring command and control of foreign military operations in support of NOSIC’s national indications and warning mission. Here, too, he built a team of both more senior analysts and a group of relative newcomers who served in support of the National Command Authority.

In 1992, Bob returned to the merchant shipping arena, assuming responsibilities as head of the Civil Maritime Department within the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). While overseeing the activities of nearly 100 analysts and supporting contractors, he recognized a need to bolster the command’s involvement in monitoring international maritime activities and reorganized his team into a strong multi-disciplinary entity. Events taking place in the Middle East drove the improvement of a national understanding of civil maritime activities, something for which Bob was largely responsible.  

He continued as head of the newly formed Civil Maritime Directorate while the analytical efforts of ONI moved from many sites throughout the Washington, D.C. area into a centralized facility in the Suitland Federal Center beginning in 1993. His keen understanding of the civil maritime problem made him one of the leaders of the problem set within the Intelligence Community, and he was spread that understanding throughout the NATO and Asian allied nations. He worked to gain insight into the capabilities of Allied nations to allow for a centralized “clearing house” for civil maritime matters. This ultimately allowed ONI to help consolidate the collection of civil maritime information in support of the Allied cause.

Bob retired from ONI in June of 2003 after more than 33 years of dedicated service to his country. He was a true leader in all respects and was able to draw the best out of the people who worked under his tutelage. He possessed an often-strange wit and could easily have been identified as one of the “untamed” within the command; but his dedication to the job and willingness to take on detailed and difficult tasks helped him gain the respect of all who knew him, including his seniors. Once heard, nobody could forget his raspy cackle as some idiotic joke he told came to fore.  His distinct, bushy mustache led some to nickname him “The Walrus.” And everybody loved “The Walrus.”  

Ultimately, a failing heart caused his passing. A true patriot, boss, friend and husband was lost but will never be forgotten.

During his career, Bob was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the William G. Brown Memorial Award NFOIO Outstanding Civilian for 1982; Edward C. Nielson Memorial Award for the Most Significant Civilian Contribution to Naval Intelligence in 1987; and two awards at his retirement in 2003: the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal from the National Foreign Intelligence Community and the Superior Civilian Service Award from the Department of the Navy.

CAPT (Ret) Dale Rielage, U.S. Navy 

Captain (Ret) Dale Rielage is recognized for his exceptional service and outstanding contributions during an ongoing Navy and Intelligence Community career. 

Dale graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and commissioned as a surface warfare officer before transferring to the Naval Intelligence community. 

As the National Security Strategy began a strategic pivot to the IndoPacific, Dale became one of Naval Intelligence’s leading experts on China and the People’s Liberation Army Navy. During his active-duty career, he served as the Seventh Fleet Deputy N2, Third Fleet N2, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet Director for Intelligence and Information Operations. He also served as the Senior Intelligence Officer for China at the Office of Naval Intelligence and Director of the Navy Asia Pacific Advisory Group.

Upon retirement from uniformed service, he was hired as a Senior Executive Service civilian and worked in Makalapa, Hawaii as the civilian Deputy Director for Intelligence and Information Operations. He then served in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security as the senior advisor for strategic competition. 

Dale currently serves in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Director, OSD Red Team. In this role, he infuses his deep knowledge of China into the highest-level wargames and exercises as a realistic and challenging Red Team, steering the strategic and operational thinking, planning and investing of the Navy and the Department of Defense.

In addition to his distinguished service as a Naval officer and senior civilian, he has been a lifelong voice and advocate for our profession, publishing his thoughts on the art and science of naval intelligence and the importance of leadership throughout his career. His articles have won the Naval Institute Naval History essay contest in 2018 and the Naval Institute General Essay contest in 2017, after taking silver in 2013 and 2016. He is the author of the Navy Staff Officer’s Guide – Leading with Impact from Squadron to OPNAV.

Furthermore, he has used his passion to constantly read, think, and write about our profession to help develop the future leaders of the community, coordinating the annual NIP/USNI Naval Intelligence Essay contest.

Throughout his career, Dale has been—and continues to be—a leader of Naval Intelligence, a leader of character and consequence. He has been at the forefront of efforts to thoughtfully evolve our tradecraft and grow our leaders for decades. He has consistently and persistently helped demystify the importance and value delivered by members of the naval intelligence profession to generations of senior warfighters. He has directly informed and positively impacted our planning, strategy, policy and investment decisions in ways that will continue to benefit our navy and nation well into the future!