Chief of Naval Operations

Chief Naval Operations CNO
Seal of the Chief of Naval Operations
Flag of the Chief of Naval Operations
Incumbent Admiral John M. Richardson since 18 September 2015
Department of the Navy
Member of	Joint Chiefs of Staff
Reports to	Secretary of Defense Secretary of the Navy
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	4 years Renewable
Constituting instrument	10 U.S.C. § 5033
Formation	11 May 1915
First holder	ADM William S. Benson
Deputy	Vice Chief of Naval Operations
Website	Official Website

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is a statutory office (10 U.S.C. § 5033) held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior naval officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (10 U.S.C. § 151) the CNO is a military adviser to the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, the Secretary of Defense, and the President. The current Chief of Naval Operations is Admiral John M. Richardson.

The Chief of Naval Operations is an administrative position based in the Pentagon, and while the CNO does not have operational command authority over Naval forces as the title implies (that is nowadays within the purview of the Combatant Commanders who report to the Secretary of Defense), the CNO does exercise supervision of Navy organizations as the designee of the Secretary of the Navy.

Responsibilities

Department of the Navy

The CNO reports directly to the Secretary of the Navy 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. Under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy, the CNO also designates naval personnel and naval resources to the commanders of Unified Combatant Commands. The CNO also performs all other functions prescribed under 10 U.S.C. § 5033 and those assigned by the secretary or delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in his administration. The CNO is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Navy unless the Chairman and/or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are naval officers. Like the other joint chiefs, the CNO is an administrative position and has no operational command authority over United States naval forces.

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations presides over the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OpNav), which is one of three headquarters staffs in Department of the Navy (the others being the Office of the Secretary of the Navy and Headquarters Marine Corps.)

Policy documents are issued in the form of OPNAV Instructions.

Appointment

The Chief of Naval Operations is nominated by the President for appointment and must be confirmed by the Senate. 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 that appointing the officer is necessary for the national interest. By statute, the CNO is appointed as a four-star admiral.

Official Residence

Number One Observatory Circle, located on the northeast grounds of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, was built in 1893 for its superintendent. The Chief of Naval Operations liked the house so much that in 1923 he took over the house as his own official residence. It remained the residence of the CNO until 1974, when Congress authorized its transformation to an official residence for the Vice President. The Chief of Naval Operations currently resides in Quarters A in the Washington Naval Yard.

List of Chiefs of Naval Operations (1915–present)

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

Mullen (CNO in December 2006) with some of his predecessors: Clark, Watkins, Hayward and Johnson

No.	Image	Name	Tenure
			Began	Ended	Days of service
1		ADM William S. Benson	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	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	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	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	29 June 1974	1 July 1978
21		ADM Thomas B. Hayward	1 July 1978	30 June 1982
22		ADM James D. Watkins	30 June 1982	30 June 1986
23		ADM Carlisle A.H. Trost	1 July 1986	29 June 1990
24		ADM Frank B. Kelso II	29 June 1990	23 April 1994
25		ADM Jeremy M. Boorda	23 April 1994	16 May 1996
26		ADM Jay L. Johnson	16 May 1996	21 July 2000
27		ADM Vern Clark	21 July 2000	22 July 2005
28		ADM Michael Mullen	22 July 2005	29 September 2007
29		ADM Gary Roughead	29 September 2007	23 September 2011
30		ADM Jonathan W. Greenert	23 September 2011	18 September 2015
31		ADM John M. Richardson	18 September 2015	Incumbent

See also

• Vice Chief of Naval Operations
• Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
• Organization of the US Marine Corps – Relationship with other uniformed services

External links

• Chief of Naval Operations page
• Office of the Chief of Naval Operations organization