Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday named Norfolk-based Navy Adm. Daryl Caudle to succeed Adm. Lisa Franchetti as Chief of Naval Operations.
Caudle has served as commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command, U.S. Naval Forces Strategic Command and U.S. Strategic Command Joint Force Maritime Component since December 2021. He has spent three decades as an officer in the Navy and has commanded submarine fleets, among other leadership roles.
His appointment comes four months after Franchetti, the first woman in the role, was fired as part of what critics called a purge of top military leadership in February that also included Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown.
Caudle will replace Adm. James Kilby, the vice chief of naval operations, who has served as chief of naval operations since Franchetti’s firing.
Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Caudle graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in chemical engineering and became an commissioned officer. He owns a master’s in physics from Naval Postgraduate School, a master’s in engineering anagement from Old Dominion University, and a doctor of management from the University of Phoenix.
As chief of naval operations, Caudle will preside over the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He’s responsible for communicating the plans and recommendations of the office to the Secretary of the Navy and, if approved, will be in charge of implementing them.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, [email protected]