Admiral Daryl Caudle
Chief of Naval Operations
Daryl Lane Caudle was born in 1963 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He earned an undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University, attended the Naval War College, and received master’s degrees the Naval Postgraduate School and Old Dominion University. He also earned a Doctor of Management from the University of Phoenix. He is a licensed engineer.
Admiral Caudle served as commander of three nuclear-powered submarines. He served in several flag assignments including deputy chief for security cooperation in Pakistan, deputy commander of the 6th Fleet, director of operations U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and commander of Submarine Group Eight. He also served as commander of the Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, and vice director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy on the Joint Staff. He then became commander of Naval Submarine Forces.
Caudle was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate for promotion to four-star admiral to command the U.S. Fleet Forces Command in 2021. He simultaneously commanded Naval Forces, U.S. Northern Command, and Naval Forces, U.S. Strategic Command.
President Donald Trump nominated Caudle for Chief of Naval Operations in June 2025. He was confirmed by the Senate, and sworn into his role in August 2025.
Caudle is married to Donna, with whom he has two daughters and two step-daughters.
In the News…
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle recently share his vision, that he called “Fighting Instructions,” for a more flexible response to global threats. He said more tailored and leaner groups with smaller, newer assets would improve preparedness to address crises.
Admiral Caudle said he’s spoken with the U.S. Southern Command about streamlining to resolve problem sets in the Caribbean. The admiral cited the successful seizure of the sanctioned oil tankers, stating, “That doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that.”
He advocated for drones and other robotic systems rather than Navy ships to provide similar capabilities with a smaller investment. The admiral said it “requires a bit of an education campaign“ for commanders to “know how to ask for that, integrate it, and know how to employ it in an effective way to bring this new niche capability to bear.“
