chief of naval operations

The ranking officer of the U.S. Navy, responsible to the secretary of the Navy and to the President.

The senior officer of the U.S. Navy, responsible for the administration and support of all U.S. naval forces. The Chief of Naval Operations sits as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

The post of chief of naval operations (CNO) was established on 3 February 1915 to give the navy a military chief "charged with the operations of the Fleet and with the preparations of plans for use in war." Legally, the CNO was only an adviser to the secretary of the navy, but the structure was adequate during World War I. The CINCUS (an unhappy acronym for commander in chief, changed after Pearl Harbor to COMINCH) was, in practice, the commander of the Atlantic, the Pacific, or the Asiatic Fleet. In March 1942 the titles of CNO and COMINCH merged in the person of Ernest J. King. His administration resulted in a general order abolishing COMINCH to vest CNO with clear supremacy.

Bibliography

Hone, Thomas. Power and Change: The Administrative History of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1946–1986. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, 1989.

Abbreviated CNO, this is the highest ranking Naval Officer, reporting to the Secretary of the Navy. He sits as a regular member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is eligible to serve as Chairman. He holds the rank of admiral. The Commandant of the Marine Corps does not report to the CNO.

Flag of the Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the senior military officer in the United States Navy. The CNO is an admiral (four-star) and is responsible 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. The CNO has administrative, rather than operational command authority over United States naval forces.^[1]

The Chief of Naval Operations is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the principal naval adviser to the President and to the Secretary of the Navy on the conduct of war.^[1] The Chief of Naval Operations is appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. 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.^[2]

Admiral Gary Roughead, CNO, USN

List of CNOs^[3]

•	Admiral William S. Benson		(May 11 1915	–   September 25 1919)
•	Admiral Robert E. Coontz		(November 1 1919	–   July 21 1923)
•	Admiral Edward W. Eberle		(July 21 1923	–   November 14 1927)
•	Admiral Charles F. Hughes		(November 14 1927	–   September 17 1930)
•	Admiral William V. Pratt		(September 17 1930	–   June 30 1933)
•	Admiral William H. Standley		(July 1 1933	–   January 1 1937)
•	Admiral [4] William D. Leahy		(January 2 1937	–   August 1 1939)
•	Admiral Harold R. Stark		(August 1 1939	–   March 2 1942)
•	Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King		(March 2 1942	–   December 15 1945)
•	Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz		(December 15 1945	–   December 15 1947)
•	Admiral Louis E. Denfeld		(December 15 1947	–   November 2 1949)
•	Admiral Forrest P. Sherman		(November 2 1949	–   July 22 1951)
•	Admiral William M. Fechteler		(August 16 1951	–   August 17 1953)
•	Admiral Robert B. Carney		(August 17 1953	–   August 17 1955)
•	Admiral Arleigh A. Burke		(August 17 1955	–   August 1 1961)
•	Admiral George W. Anderson Jr.		(August 1 1961	–   August 1 1963)
•	Admiral David L. McDonald		(August 1 1963	–   August 1 1967)
•	Admiral Thomas H. Moorer		(August 1 1967	–   July 1 1970)
•	Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt		(July 1 1970	–   June 29 1974)
•	Admiral James L. Holloway III		(June 29 1974	–   July 1 1978)
•	Admiral Thomas B. Hayward		(July 1 1978	–   June 30 1982)
•	Admiral James D. Watkins		(June 30 1982	–   June 30 1986)
•	Admiral Carlisle A.H. Trost		(July 1 1986	–   June 29 1990)
•	Admiral Frank B. Kelso II		(June 29 1990	–   April 23 1994)
•	Admiral Jeremy M. Boorda		(April 23 1994	–   May 16 1996)
•	Admiral Jay L. Johnson		(May 16 1996	–   July 21 2000)
•	Admiral Vern Clark		(July 21 2000	–   July 22 2005)
•	Admiral Michael Mullen		(July 22 2005	–   September 29 2007)
•	Admiral Gary Roughead		(September 29 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, the Deputy Chiefs of Naval Operations, the Assistant Chiefs of Naval Operations, the Surgeon General of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Personnel, 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.^[5]

The organization of the CNO's Office

See also

• Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (MPTE)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The US Navy". Retrieved on September 24, 2007.
2. ^ "US CODE: Title 10,5033. Chief of Naval Operations". Retrieved on September 24, 2007.
3. ^ "Chief of Naval Operations". Retrieved on September 24, 2007.
4. ^ Though later promoted to Fleet Admiral with appointment as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Leahy held the rank of Admiral for the duration of his tenure as CNO.
5. ^ "US CODE: Title 10,5031. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations". Retrieved on September 24, 2007.

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