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 spoke about the importance of strengthening international partnerships in advancing maritime security and innovation at the 15th Trans-Regional Seapower Symposium this week in Venice, Italy.
“For 30 years, this symposium has brought naval leaders together here at Venice’s historic Arsenal, a place with centuries of maritime history behind it,” said Admiral Caudle. “The challenges we face at sea don’t stop at national borders, and no nation, no matter how capable, can address them alone.”
Admiral Caudle stated, “Relationships and cooperation has to begin long before a crisis, not during one.”
“We can’t surge everywhere indefinitely, so we have to make big decisions on readiness,“ said the admiral. “You have to not only build and certify those forces, but you have to be able to regenerate them and do that in timing and tempo as the situation demands.”
“We train together, we exercise together, we operate together,” Admiral Caudle said of the interconnected nature of global maritime security. “And we build the trust that allows us to act together when it matters most.”
