Chief of Naval Operations
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The chief of naval operations 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 t
ADM Daryl L. Caudle
Michael Mullen, CNO in December 2006, with some of his predecessors: Vern Clark, James D. Watkins, Thomas B. Hayward, and Jay L. Johnson
William Sims
Rear Admiral Charles Johnston Badger with Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, c. 1914
Daryl Caudle
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Daryl Lane Caudle is an American admiral and engineer who has served as the 34th chief of naval operations since 2025.
Chief of Naval Operations
…the purview of the combatant commanders who report to the secretary of defense. Since 25 August 2025, the 34th chief of naval operations is Admiral Daryl Caudle. The chief of naval operations (CNO) is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty in the U.S. Navy unless the chairman and/or the vice…
Adm. Caudle relieves Adm. Christopher W. Grady as commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command on 7 December 2021
Caudle at the change of command ceremony for Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, in February 2019.
Caudle receives a Japanese honor guard during his visit to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, in November 2025.