Joseph F. Campbell was born in Lancaster, PA. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1980 and later earned a Naval Engineer’s degree and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Campbell was commissioned as an Engineering duty officer in May 1980 via the NROTC program and reported for duty on board the USS HOLLAND (AS 32) in Holy Loch, Scotland. Follow on waterfront assignments were at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Newport News, Trident Refit Facility, Kings Bay and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. He also completed two staff tours at Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
In November 2003 he returned to Norfolk Naval Shipyard as the 101st Shipyard Commander. In May 2006 Campbell was nominated for appointment to flag rank, and in July 2006 reported for duty as deputy director, Fleet Readiness Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at Washington, D.C. Campbell then became the Fleet Forces Command, director of Fleet Maintenance (N43) in May 2008 and reported as the deputy commander, Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations, Naval Sea Systems Command in June 2009. Campbell has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal in addition to numerous campaign and unit awards.