Carlisle Albert Herman Trost was a United States Navy officer who served as the 23rd Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from July 1, 1986, to June 29, 1990. He oversaw the Navy during the end of the Cold War, and the preparations for the Gulf War of 1991. He retired from active naval service on July 1, 1990, following completion of a four-year term as CNO.

The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. The CNO is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and in this capacity, a military adviser to the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, the secretary of defense, and the president.