We Have a CNO

Salamander approved

At first glance, this looks solid.

The White House is nominating Adm. Daryl Caudle, a career submariner and currently the commander of US Fleet Forces, to be the US Navy’s 34th chief of naval operations, following the unceremonious removal of Adm. Lisa Franchetti in late February.

Neither the White House nor the Navy has yet made a public comment regarding the selection, but Caudle’s nomination can be seen on a congressional website displaying all presidential nominees. Breaking Defense has reached out to the Navy and the White House for comment. During a congressional hearing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the move was made today.

Caudle is currently the chief of US Fleet Forces command, the Navy’s four-star operational command based in Norfolk, Va. He previously served as commander of submarine forces, deputy commander of US 6th Fleet as well as vice director for strategy, plans, and policy on the Joint Staff. USNI News first reported Caudle’s nomination.

Yes, he’s a submariner, but I won’t hold that against him. (I kid, I’m a kidder).

Coming from Fleet Forces, he’s got a handle of the issues.

He has a lot of sea duty and command at sea experience in the no-nonsense part of our Navy:

Caudle served at various posts during his sea tour assignments such as division officer, USS George Washington Carver (SSBN-656), engineer of USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634) and USS Sand Lance (SSN-660) as well as serving as executive officer of USS Montpelier (SSN-765). His first command assignment was as commanding officer of USS Jefferson City (SSN-759). While appointed to the Submarine Squadron 11 as deputy commander, he served as commanding officer of USS Topeka (SSN-754) and USS Helena (SSN-725). He also commanded Submarine Squadron 3 as Commodore.

He is not a card-carrying member of the Potomac Flotilla. More fleet experience at the highest levels:

Submarine Forces; commander, Submarine Force Atlantic; commander, Task Force (CTF) 114, CTF 88, and CTF 46; and commander, Allied Submarine Command.

As a Flag Officer:

…deputy chief for security cooperation, Office of the Defense Representative, Pakistan; deputy commander, Joint Functional Component Command-Global Strike; deputy commander, U.S. 6th Fleet; director of operations U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa; commander, Submarine Group Eight; commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and vice director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy on the Joint Staff (J-5) in Washington, D.C.

The only “DC” job is exactly the job you’d want. Again, operational.

In a meta view as well, he graduated from a State university, North Carolina State University, and then went to OCS.

That formative experience matters, at least to me.

So, this is a time of change and challenge—I wish him and our Navy the absolute best success.

Also, as a warning to those in OPNAV, as a chemical engineering grad who is a nuclear-trained submariner: there will be math.