Chief of Naval Operations

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the highest ranking officer in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group of military leaders in the United States armed forces who advise the civilian government of the United States....
. The CNO reports directly to the Secretary of the Navy

United States Secretary of the Navy

The United States Secretary of the Navy is the civilian head of the United States Department of the Navy. The position was a member of the President of the United States United States Cabinet until 1947, when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were placed in the United States Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy was...
for the command, utilization of resources and operating efficiency of the operating forces of the Navy and of the Navy shore activities assigned by the Secretary.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Chief of Naval Operations'

Start a new discussion about 'Chief of Naval Operations'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the highest ranking officer in the United States Navy

United States Navy

Joint Chiefs of Staff

United States Secretary of the Navy

Unified Combatant Command

A Unified Combatant Command is a United States joint military Command composed of forces from two or more services, has a broad and continuing mission, and is organized either on a geographical basis or on a functional basis....
s. The CNO also performs all other functions prescribed under and those assigned by the secretary or delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in his administration under his name. Like the other joint chiefs, the CNO is an administrative position and has no operational command authority over United States naval forces.

The CNO is the principal naval adviser to the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
, the Secretary of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

File:USSecDefflag.PNGThe United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense , concerned with the Military of the United States and Military of the United States....
and to the Secretary of the Navy on the conduct of war. The Chief of Naval Operations is nominated by the President for appointment and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
. A requirement for being Chief of Naval Operations is having significant experience in joint duty assignments, which includes at least one full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment as a flag officer. However the president may waive those requirements if he determines the officer is necessary for national interest. By statute, the CNO is appointed as a four-star admiral

Admiral (United States)

In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a 4 star rank flag officer rank, with the U.S....
.

The position of CNO replaced the position of Aide for Naval Operations, which was a position established by administrative law rather than statute.

	Chief of Naval Operations	Term began	Term ended
1	ADM Admiral (United States) In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a 4 star rank flag officer rank, with the U.S.... William S. Benson William S. Benson William Shepherd Benson was an admiral in the United States Navy and the first Chief of Naval Operations , holding the post throughout World War I....	11 May 1915	25 September 1919
2	ADM Robert E. Coontz	1 November 1919	21 July 1923
3	ADM Edward W. Eberle	21 July 1923	14 November 1927
4	ADM Charles F. Hughes	14 November 1927	17 September 1930
5	ADM William V. Pratt	17 September 1930	30 June 1933
6	ADM William H. Standley	1 July 1933	1 January 1937
7	FADM William D. Leahy William D. Leahy Fleet Admiral William Daniel Leahy was an United States naval officer, Governor of Puerto Rico and Ambassador to France.Leahy served as Chief of Staff to Presidents Franklin D....	2 January 1937	1 August 1939
8	ADM Harold R. Stark	1 August 1939	2 March 1942
9	FADM Ernest J. King	2 March 1942	15 December 1945
10	FADM Chester W. Nimitz	15 December 1945	15 December 1947
11	ADM Louis E. Denfeld Louis E. Denfeld Louis Emil Denfeld , was Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy from 15 December 1947 to 1 November 1949. He also held several significant surface commands during World War II, and after the war commanded the U.S....	15 December 1947	2 November 1949
12	ADM Forrest P. Sherman	2 November 1949	22 July 1951
13	ADM William M. Fechteler	16 August 1951	17 August 1953
14	ADM Robert B. Carney	17 August 1953	17 August 1955
15	ADM Arleigh A. Burke	17 August 1955	1 August 1961
16	ADM George W. Anderson Jr.	1 August 1961	1 August 1963
17	ADM David L. McDonald David L. McDonald David Lamar McDonald, USN, was an Admiral of the United States Navy, who served as the 17th Chief of Naval Operations , 1 August, 1963 ? 1 August, 1967, during the Vietnam War era....	1 August 1963	1 August 1967
18	ADM Thomas H. Moorer	1 August 1967	1 July 1970
19	ADM Elmo R. Zumwalt	1 July 1970	29 June 1974
20	ADM James L. Holloway III James L. Holloway III James Lemuel Holloway III is a retired United States Navy admiral and naval aviator who was highly decorated for his actions during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War....	29 June 1974	1 July 1978
21	ADM Thomas B. Hayward Thomas B. Hayward Admiral Thomas Bibb Hayward was Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy from July 1 1978, until June 30 1982, after which he retired from military service....	1 July 1978	30 June 1982
22	ADM James D. Watkins James D. Watkins Admiral James David Watkins is a retired United States Navy officer and former Chief of Naval Operations who also served as U.S. United States Secretary of Energy during the George H....	30 June 1982	30 June 1986
23	ADM Carlisle A.H. Trost	1 July 1986	29 June 1990
24	ADM Frank B. Kelso II Frank B. Kelso II Frank Benton Kelso II is a former admiral of the United States Navy, who served as Chief of Naval Operations in the early 1990s.Kelso, a native of Fayetteville, Tennessee, attended public school and the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, prior to entering the United States Naval Academy in 1952....	29 June 1990	23 April 1994
25	ADM Jeremy M. Boorda	23 April 1994	16 May 1996
26	ADM Jay L. Johnson Jay L. Johnson Admiral Jay L. Johnson, USN, is a retired United States Navy officer who served from 1996-2000 as 26th Chief of Naval Operations . He succeeded to the position following the death of Admiral Jeremy Boorda....	16 May 1996	21 July 2000
27	ADM Vern Clark Vern Clark Admiral Vernon E. Clark USN was the Chief of Naval Operations in the United States Navy. He retired 22 July 2005, making his tenure of five years the second-longest serving CNO behind Arleigh Burke....	21 July 2000	22 July 2005
28	ADM Michael Mullen Michael Mullen Admiral Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen, United States Navy , is the 17th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Mullen previously served as the United States Navy 28th Chief of Naval Operations from July 22, 2005 to September 29, 2007....	22 July 2005	29 September 2007
29	ADM Gary Roughead Gary Roughead Gary Roughead, an Admiral in the United States Navy, is the 29th and current Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as Commander, Fleet Forces Command....	29 September 2007	Present

Organization of the CNO's Office

The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations includes the Chief of Naval Operations, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations

Vice Chief of Naval Operations

The Vice Chief of Naval Operations is the second highest ranking officer in the United States Navy. In the event that the Chief of Naval Operations is absent or is unable to perform his duties, the VCNO assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CNO....
, the Deputy Chiefs of Naval Operations, the Assistant Chiefs of Naval Operations, the Surgeon General of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Personnel

Chief of Naval Personnel

The Chief of Naval Personnel is responsible for overall manpower readiness for the United States Navy. The CNP also serves as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations and is one of four Deputy Chiefs of Naval Operations with the identification of N1/NT....
, the Chief of Legislative Affairs, the Chief of Chaplains of the Navy, and other members of the Navy or Marines or civilians in the Department of the Navy assigned or detailed to the Office.

External links

Contact Information

Chief of Naval Operations 2000 Navy Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20350-2000