Vice Chief of Naval Operations

Vice Chief Of Naval Operations
Incumbent Admiral Michelle J. Howard since July 1, 2014
Formation	26 March 1942
First holder	Frederick J. Horne

The Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) is the second highest-ranking commissioned officer in the United States Navy. In the event that the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is absent or is unable to perform their duties, the VCNO assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CNO. The VCNO may also perform other duties that the CNO assigns to them. The VCNO is appointed by the President of the United States, and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate.^[1] By statute, the VCNO is appointed as a four-star admiral.

This position was called Assistant for Operations in 1915, and Assistant Chief of Naval Operations in 1922. In 1942 the title became Vice Chief of Naval Operations.^[2] The current VCNO is Admiral Michelle J. Howard. Previous VCNOs include:

	Vice Chief of Naval Operations	Tenure
1	VADM (ADM) Frederick J. Horne	26 March 1942 – 2 September 1945
2	ADM Richard S. Edwards Jr.	1945–1946
3	ADM DeWitt Clinton Ramsey	15 January 1946 – 3 January 1948
4	ADM Arthur W. Radford	January 1948 – May 1949
5	ADM John D. Price	1949–1950
6	ADM Lynde D. McCormick	1950–1951
7	ADM Donald B. Duncan	1951–1956
8	ADM Harry D. Felt	1956–1958
9	ADM James S. Russell	21 July 1958 – September 1961
10	ADM Claude V. Ricketts	25 September 1961 – 6 July 1964
11	ADM Horacio Rivero, Jr.	July 1964 – January 1968
12	ADM Bernard A. Clarey	January 1968 – December 1970
13	ADM Ralph W. Cousins	1970–1972
14	ADM Maurice F. Weisner	1972–1973
15	ADM James L. Holloway III	September 1973 – 1974
16	ADM Worth H. Bagley	June 1974 - July 1975
17	ADM Harold E. Shear	1975–1977
18	ADM Robert L. J. Long	July 1977 – April 1979
19	ADM James D. Watkins	April 1979 – 1981
20	ADM William N. Small	1981–1983
21	ADM Ronald J. Hays	1983–1985
22	ADM James B. Busey IV	September 1985 – 1987
23	ADM Huntington Hardisty	1987–1988
24	ADM Leon A. Edney	August 1988 – May 1990
25	ADM Jerome L. Johnson	May 1990 – July 1992
26	ADM Stanley R. Arthur	6 July 1992 – 1995
27	ADM Joseph W. Prueher	April 1995 – 1996
28	ADM Jay L. Johnson	April 1996 – August 1996
29	ADM Harold W. Gehman, Jr.	September 1996 – September 1997
30	ADM Donald L. Pilling	October 1997 – October 2000
31	ADM William J. Fallon	October 2000 – August 2003
32	ADM Michael G. Mullen	August 2003 – August 2004
33	ADM John B. Nathman	August 2004 – February 2005
34	ADM Robert F. Willard	18 March 2005 – 5 April 2007
35	ADM Patrick M. Walsh	5 April 2007 – 13 August 2009
36	ADM Jonathan W. Greenert	13 August 2009 – 22 August 2011
37	ADM Mark E. Ferguson III	22 August 2011 – 1 July 2014
38	ADM Michelle J. Howard	1 July 2014 – present

See also

• Chief of Naval Operations
• Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

References

1. "10 USC 5035. Vice Chief of Naval Operations". Retrieved 6 November 2007.
2. "Vice Chief of Naval Operations". Lists of Commanding Officers and Senior Officials of the U.S. Navy. Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 1 July 2014.