Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

SAILORS FIRST SUNDAY ⚓️

It is our Sailors — battle-ready, trained, resilient and forged in the Foundry — who sustain our combat power.

A U.S. Sailor assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46 conducts maintenance on an MH-60R Sea Hawk aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Nov. 3, 2026.

The MH-60R Sea Hawk is the U.S. Navy’s primary anti-submarine and surface warfare helicopter, specially designed for all aspects of land or maritime operations from any aviation ship or air-capable vessel.

George H.W. Bush is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security and stability in the Middle East.

Congratulations to the Japan Self-Defense Forces on 72 years of service! 🇺🇸🇯🇵

Last night, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle joined Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada at the ambassador’s residence in Washington to celebrate the men and women of the JSDF.

“American Sailors know that when they operate alongside the JSDF, they’re operating with true professionals. Warriors who are trained. Warriors who are ready. Warriors we trust. And that trust has been forged through decades of standing and operating together,” Caudle said.

Great leaders don't just build successful commands. They develop the next generation of leaders who will strengthen our Navy. ⚓

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle presented the Fiscal Year 2027 Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award to Capt. Evan Hentschel of SEAL Team TWO and Capt. Gieorag Andrews of USS Missouri (SSN 780) during a ceremony today in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon.

The award is presented annually to one commanding officer from U.S. Fleet Forces Command and one from U.S. Pacific Fleet.

It was established in honor of Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale, whose distinguished naval career symbolized the highest standards of excellence in both personal and professional leadership.

Nominated by their peers, Hentschel and Andrews were honored for their inspirational leadership, integrity, commitment to Sailors and contributions to our Navy's warfighting readiness.

“The true measure of their success will extend far beyond their individual commands," Caudle said. "It will be reflected in the Sailors they've developed, the leaders they've inspired and the future commanding officers who carry their example forward."

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

History is not simply something we preserve. It is something we must learn from and act upon.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle addressed the winners of the 2026 CNO Naval History Essay Contest today at the United States Naval Academy, where he thanked them for their scholarship, commitment to our profession, and their willingness to contribute to its future.

“What makes this contest so valuable is that it challenges us to do more than recount historical events,” Caudle said. “It asks us to examine decisions, understand the circumstances in which they were made, challenge the assumptions behind them, and determine what those experiences mean for the Navy today.”

Congratulations to all of the winners!

📚⚓️Professional Historian

* First Prize: Commander Roy Wood Jr., USN (Ret.), Northeastern State University, for "The Aegis Lesson Revisited"

* Second Prize: Captain Karl Flynn, USMC, for "Lessons from the Mississippi: Joint Integration in Contested Maritime Warfare"

📚⚓️Rising Historian

* First Prize: Commander Aaron Marchant, USN, for "Fleet of Samples: The Limits of Naval Innovation at the Turn of the 20th Century"

* Second Prize: Ensign Liam Hospidales, USN, for "Before the Next Jutland: Technology, Doctrine, and the USV Movement"

* Third Prize: Major Dilan Swift, USMCR, for "The Island Not Taken: Operation Causeway and the Arithmetic of Deterrence"

📚⚓️Midshipmen and Cadets

* First Prize: Midshipman 1/C Alejandro Tilley, U.S. Naval Academy, for "The Cognitive Redline: Kamikaze Warfare, Project Cadillac, and the Navy's First Battle for Information Dominance"

* Second Prize: Midshipman 1/C Brian Di Mascio, U.S. Naval Academy, for "Evolutionary Design is the Revolution the Navy Needs: Concurrent Development and 21st Century Naval Shipbuilding"

* Third Prize: Ensign Swas Sharma, USN, for "The Atomic Bomb and the Revolt of the Admirals"

Speed matters.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle met with leadership from @DRPM_RAS today and stressed the importance of delivering capability with urgency. 

“Identify what we can field today, what we can rapidly improve, and what must be developed for tomorrow,” Caudle said. “Don’t let perfect requirements, endless experimentation, or bureaucratic processes delay useful combat power.”

DRPM RAS was established in August and is accelerating the delivery of cutting-edge unmanned systems directly to the Fleet, ensuring our service members hold every operational advantage.

#usnavy #military