President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated U.S. Fleet Forces Commander Adm. Daryl Caudle to serve as the Navy’s next chief of naval operations, according to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Caudle is now in the driver’s seat to replace the acting CNO James Kilby, who stepped into the position after the February firing of Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as a service chief.

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Caudle, a career submariner from North Carolina, assumed command of the Norfolk, Virginia-based U.S. Fleet Forces Command on Dec. 7, 2021.

Prior to his appointment to that role, he held leadership positions with Submarine Forces, Submarine Force Atlantic, Task Force 114, 88 and 46, and Allied Submarine Command.

Caudle has been a vocal critic of manning shortages and delayed ship availability in the past, sentiments that align with the Trump administration’s executive order designed to overhaul the maritime industrial base.

Speaking at a Surface Navy Association conference on Jan. 12, Caudle was adamant about securing funding for shipyards and increasing both ship numbers and a budget that enables them to properly operate.

Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.

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