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 shared reasons the U.S. Navy needs high-energy laser weapons with the House Armed Services Committee. He said that directed-energy weapons (DEW) could reduce the defensive burden from naval destroyers, allowing them to stock more offensive equipment.
“Directed energy is a critical component of future naval warfare, particularly for ballistic missile and terminal defense,” Admiral Caudle stated. “The current paradigm, which forces a trade-off between defensive interceptors and offensive strike weapons within the limited space of the Vertical Launching System (VLS), is unsustainable. Every VLS cell used for a defensive missile is a lost opportunity for a long-range offensive strike.”
The admiral said that to turn designs into real-world weapons, the Navy “must prioritize and fund R&D for compact, high-density energy storage and thermal management systems capable of handling the demands of [directed energy weapons].”
He also said that the service has to invest in “digital engineering and land-based test facilities to de-risk the complex integration of DEW systems with legacy combat and ship control systems.”
