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Chief of Naval Operations
Flag of the Chief of Naval Operations
Incumbent Admiral John M. Richardson since 18 September 2015
Department of the Navy
Abbreviation	CNO
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 the highest-ranking officer and professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office (10 U.S.C. § 5033) held by a four-star admiral who 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.

Despite the title, the CNO does not have operational command authority over Naval forces. The CNO is an administrative position based in the Pentagon, and exercises supervision of Navy organizations as the designee of the Secretary of the Navy. Operational command of naval forces falls within the purview of the Combatant Commanders who report to the Secretary of Defense.

Responsibilities

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 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are naval officers.^[1]

As per 10 U.S.C. § 5035, whenever there is a vacancy for the Chief of Naval Operations or during the absence or disability of the Chief of Naval Operations, and unless the President directs otherwise, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations performs the duties of the Chief of Naval Operations until a successor is appointed or the absence or disability ceases.^[2]

Department of the Navy

The CNO also performs all other functions prescribed under 10 U.S.C. § 5033, such as presiding over the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV), exercising supervision of Navy organizations, and other duties assigned by the Secretary or higher lawful authority, or the CNO delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in OPNAV or in organizations below.^[1][3]

Acting for the Secretary of the Navy, the CNO also designates naval personnel and naval forces available to the commanders of Unified Combatant Commands, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense.^[3][4]

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The CNO is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as prescribed by 10 U.S.C. § 151 and 10 U.S.C. § 5033. Like the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CNO is an administrative position, with no operational command authority over the United States Navy forces.

Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, individually or collectively, in their capacity as military advisers, shall provide advice to the President, the National Security Council (NSC), or the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) on a particular matter when the President, the NSC, or SECDEF requests such advice. Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (other than the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) may submit to the Chairman advice or an opinion in disagreement with, or advice or an opinion in addition to, the advice presented by the Chairman to the President, NSC, or SECDEF.

When performing his JCS duties, the CNO is responsible directly to the SECDEF, but keeps SECNAV fully informed of significant military operations affecting the duties and responsibilities of the SECNAV, unless SECDEF orders otherwise.^[5]

Appointment

The Chief of Naval Operations is nominated by the President for appointment and must be confirmed by the Senate.^[6] 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.^[6] However, the president may waive those requirements if he determines that appointing the officer is necessary for the national interest.^[6] By statute, the CNO is appointed as a four-star admiral.^[6]

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.^[7] The Chief of Naval Operations currently resides in Quarters A in the Washington Naval Yard.

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

Organizational chart of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV).

The Chief of Naval Operations presides over the Navy Staff, formally known as the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV).^[8][9]
The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory organization within the executive part of the Department of the Navy, and its purpose is to furnish professional assistance to the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) and the CNO in carrying out their responsibilities.^[10][11]

The OPNAV organization consists of:

• The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)


• The Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO), the principal deputy of the Chief of Naval Operations, delegated complete authority to act for the CNO in all matters not specifically reserved by law to the CNO.
  
  
  
  • The Director of the Navy Staff (DNS).
  
  
  • Several Deputy Chiefs of Naval Operations (DCNOs)^[12] of either three or two-star rank, heading functional directorates.
    
    
    
    • (N1) DCNO Manpower, Personnel, Training, & Education/Chief of Naval Personnel
      
    
    
    • (N2/N6) DCNO Warfare Dominance/Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence
      
    
    
    • (N3/N5) DCNO Operations, Plans, & Strategy
    
    
    • (N4) DCNO Fleet Readiness & Logistics
    
    
    • (N8) DCNO Integration of Capabilities & Resources
    
    
    • (N9) DCNO Warfare Systems
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • (N00D) The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), appointed by the Chief of Naval Operations to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest positions in the Navy.
  
  
  • (N00N) The Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, a unique eight-year posting held by a 4 star admiral, which was originally created and served in by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. The appointment as Director is both a military and civilian position as it is the head of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in the Department of the Navy and deputy administrator for the Office of Naval Reactors of the National Nuclear Security Administration in the Department of Energy.^[13][14][15]
    
  
  
  • (N093) The Surgeon General of the Navy, the most senior officer in the Medical Corps who heads the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED).
  
  
  • (N095) The Chief of Navy Reserve/Commander, Navy Reserve Force.
  
  
  • (N097) The Chief of Chaplains.
  
  
  
  


• In addition, there are officials who are by either law or regulation part of the Office of the Secretary of the Navy (also known as the Secretariat), but who advise the CNO and OPNAV, on an additional duty basis, within their area of specialty, these include:
  
  
  
  • (N09C) Special Assistant for Public Affairs Support, additional duty for the Chief of Information (CHINFO).
  
  
  • (N09G) Special Assistant for Inspection Support, additional duty for the Naval Inspector General (NIG).
  
  
  • (N09J) Special Assistant for Legal Services, additional duty for the Judge Advocate General of the Navy (JAG).
  
  
  • (N09L) Special Assistant for Legislative Support, additional duty for the Chief of Legislative Affairs (CLA).
  
  
  • (N09N) Special Assistant for Naval Investigative Matters and Security, additional duty for the Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
  
  
  
  

Policy documents emanating from the CNO are issued in the form of OPNAV Instructions.

OPNAV is one of the three headquarters staffs in Department of the Navy mainly based at The Pentagon, with the others being the Office of the Secretary of the Navy and Headquarters, Marine Corps.

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.^[16] († - died in office)

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

№		Chief of Naval Operations	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Benson, WilliamAdmiral William S. Benson (1855–1932)	11 May 1915	25 September 1919	7003159800000000000♠4 years, 137 days
2		Coontz, RobertAdmiral Robert E. Coontz (1864–1935)	1 November 1919	21 July 1923	7003135800000000000♠3 years, 262 days
3		Eberle, EdwardAdmiral Edward W. Eberle (1864–1929)	21 July 1923	14 November 1927	7003157700000000000♠4 years, 116 days
4		Hughes, CharlesAdmiral Charles F. Hughes (1866–1934)	14 November 1927	17 September 1930	7003109900000000000♠3 years, 3 days
5		Pratt, WilliamAdmiral William V. Pratt (1869–1957)	17 September 1930	30 June 1933	7003101700000000000♠2 years, 286 days
6		Standley, WilliamAdmiral William H. Standley (1872–1963)	1 July 1933	1 January 1937	7003128000000000000♠3 years, 184 days
7		Leahy, WilliamFleet Admiral William D. Leahy (1875–1959)	2 January 1937	1 August 1939	7002941000000000000♠2 years, 211 days
8		Stark, HaroldAdmiral Harold R. Stark (1880–1972)	1 August 1939	2 March 1942	7002944000000000000♠2 years, 213 days
9		King, ErnestFleet Admiral Ernest J. King (1878–1956)	2 March 1942	15 December 1945	7003138400000000000♠3 years, 288 days
10		Nimitz, ChesterFleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (1885–1966)	15 December 1945	15 December 1947	7002730000000000000♠2 years, 0 days
11		Denfeld, LouisAdmiral Louis E. Denfeld (1891–1972)	15 December 1947	2 November 1949	7002688000000000000♠1 year, 322 days
12		Sherman, ForrestAdmiral Forrest P. Sherman (1896–1951)	2 November 1949	22 July 1951 †	7002627000000000000♠1 year, 262 days
13		Fechteler, WilliamAdmiral William M. Fechteler (1896–1967)	16 August 1951	17 August 1953	7002732000000000000♠2 years, 1 day
14		Carney, RobertAdmiral Robert B. Carney (1895–1990)	17 August 1953	17 August 1955	7002730000000000000♠2 years, 0 days
15		Burke, ArleighAdmiral Arleigh A. Burke (1901–1996)	17 August 1955	1 August 1961	7003217600000000000♠5 years, 349 days
16		Anderson, GeorgeAdmiral George W. Anderson Jr. (1906–1992)	1 August 1961	1 August 1963	7002730000000000000♠2 years, 0 days
17		McDonald, DavidAdmiral David L. McDonald (1906–1997)	1 August 1963	1 August 1967	7003146100000000000♠4 years, 0 days
18		Moorer, ThomasAdmiral Thomas H. Moorer (1912–2004)	1 August 1967	1 July 1970	7003106500000000000♠2 years, 334 days
19		Zumwalt, ElmoAdmiral Elmo R. Zumwalt (1920–2000)	1 July 1970	29 June 1974	7003145900000000000♠3 years, 363 days
20		Holloway, JamesAdmiral James L. Holloway III (born 1922)	29 June 1974	1 July 1978	7003146300000000000♠4 years, 2 days
21		Hayward, ThomasAdmiral Thomas B. Hayward (born 1924)	1 July 1978	30 June 1982	7003146000000000000♠3 years, 364 days
22		Watkins, JamesAdmiral James D. Watkins (1927–2012)	30 June 1982	30 June 1986	7003146100000000000♠4 years, 0 days
23		Trost, CarlisleAdmiral Carlisle A.H. Trost (born 1930)	1 July 1986	29 June 1990	7003145900000000000♠3 years, 363 days
24		Kelso, FrankAdmiral Frank B. Kelso II (1933–2013)	29 June 1990	23 April 1994	7003139400000000000♠3 years, 298 days
25		Boorda, JeremyAdmiral Jeremy M. Boorda (1939–1996)	23 April 1994	16 May 1996 †	7002754000000000000♠2 years, 23 days
26		Johnson, JayAdmiral Jay L. Johnson (born 1946)	16 May 1996	21 July 2000	7003152700000000000♠4 years, 66 days
27		Clark, VernAdmiral Vern Clark (born 1944)	21 July 2000	22 July 2005	7003182700000000000♠5 years, 1 day
28		Mullen, MichaelAdmiral Michael Mullen (born 1946)	22 July 2005	29 September 2007	7002860000000000000♠2 years, 130 days
29		Roughead, GaryAdmiral Gary Roughead (born 1951)	29 September 2007	23 September 2011	7003139400000000000♠3 years, 298 days
30		Greenert, JonathanAdmiral Jonathan W. Greenert (born 1953)	23 September 2011	18 September 2015	7003145600000000000♠3 years, 360 days
31		Richardson, JohnAdmiral John M. Richardson (born 1960)	18 September 2015	Incumbent	7003127700000000000♠3 years, 181 days

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


• United States Fleet

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chiefs of Naval Operations.

• Chief of Naval Operations page


• Office of the Chief of Naval Operations organization


• 
  "Chief of Naval Operations". Lists of Commanding Officers and Senior Officials of the US Navy. Naval Historical Center. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2007.