United States Secretary of the Navy

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Distinguish". Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox official post The secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer (Template:UnitedStatesCode) and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirmed as Secretary of the Navy.[1]

By law, the secretary of the Navy must be a civilian at least seven years removed from active military service (Template:UnitedStatesCode). The secretary is appointed by the president and requires confirmation by the Senate.

History

The position of Secretary of the Navy was created in 1798. It was a member of the president's Cabinet until 1949, when the secretary of the Navy (and the secretaries of the Army and Air Force) were by amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 made subordinate to the secretary of defense.[2]

From 2001 to 2019, proposals to rename the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, which would have also renamed the secretary of the Navy to the secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps, were introduced with wide support in the United States Congress, but failed due to the opposition of Senator and retired U.S. Navy officer John McCain.[3]

Responsibilities

The Department of the Navy (DoN) consists of two uniformed services: the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.[4] The secretary of the Navy is responsible for, and has statutory authority (Template:UnitedStatesCode) to "conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Navy", i.e. as its chief executive officer, subject to the limits of the law, and the directions of the president and the secretary of defense. In effect, all authority within the Navy and Marine Corps, unless specifically exempted by law, is derivative of the authority vested in the secretary of the Navy.

Specifically enumerated responsibilities of the SECNAV in the aforementioned section are: recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, mobilizing, and demobilizing. The secretary also oversees the construction, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment, and facilities. SECNAV is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that are consistent with the national security policies and objectives established by the president or the secretary of defense.[5][6]

The secretary of the Navy is a member of the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB), chaired by the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. Furthermore, the secretary has several statutory responsibilities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with respect to the administration of the military justice system for the Navy & the Marine Corps, including the authority to convene general courts-martial and to commute sentences.

The principal military advisers to the SECNAV are the two service chiefs of the naval services: for matters regarding the Navy the chief of naval operations (CNO), and for matters regarding the Marine Corps the commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC). The CNO and the Commandant act as the principal executive agents of the SECNAV within their respective services to implement the orders of the secretary.

Navy regulations

The United States Navy Regulations is the principal regulatory document of the Department of the Navy, and all changes to it must be approved by the secretary of the Navy.

U.S. Coast Guard

Whenever the United States Coast Guard operates as a service within the Department of the Navy, the secretary of the Navy has the same powers and duties with respect to the Coast Guard as the secretary of homeland security when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy.[7]

Navy Secretariat

The Office of the Secretary of the Navy, also known within DoD as the Navy Secretariat or simply just as the Secretariat in a DoN setting, is the immediate headquarters staff that supports the secretary in discharging his duties. The principal officials of the Secretariat include the Under Secretary of the Navy (the secretary's principal civilian deputy), the assistant secretaries of the Navy (ASN), the general counsel of the Navy, the judge advocate general of the Navy (JAG), the Naval inspector general (NIG), the chief of Legislative Affairs, and the chief of naval research. The Office of the Secretary of the Navy has sole responsibility within the Department of the Navy for acquisition, auditing, financial and information management, legislative affairs, and public affairs.[8]

Pursuant to SecNavInst 5090.5F, the Department of the Navy Environmental Programs Manual, the secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations recognize a number of commands annually for achievements in such areas as environmental quality, environmental cleanup, natural resources conservation, cultural resources management, pollution prevention, and recycling.[9]

The chief of naval operations and the commandant of the Marine Corps have their own separate staffs, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (also known by its acronym OPNAV) and Headquarters Marine Corps.

Secretaries of the Navy

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  Denotes acting secretaries

[10]

Continental Congress

Position Portrait Name Term of office
Chairman of the Marine Committee File:Gilbert Stuart, John Adams, c. 1800-1815, NGA 42933.jpg John Adams 13 October 1775 – 1779
Member of the Marine Committee File:John langdon.jpg John Langdon 13 October 1775–?
Member of the Marine Committee File:Silas Deane - Du Simitier and B.L. Prevost.jpg Silas Deane 13 October 1775–?
Member of the Marine Committee File:Joseph Hewes.png Joseph Hewes 1775[11]
Continental Navy Board
(under Marine Committee) 		6 November 1776 – 28 October 1779
Chairman of the Continental Board of Admiralty File:Francis Lewis.jpg Francis Lewis December 1779 – 1780
Secretary of Marine File:AlexanderMcdougall.jpg Alexander McDougall 7 February 1781 – 29 August 1781
Agent of Marine
(devolved onto Superintendent of Finance) 		File:Robert Morris by Charles Willson Peale, c. 1782 (New Orleans Mus of Art 78.2) - wide crop.jpg Robert Morris 29 August 1781 – 1784[12]

(Post of Secretary of Marine created but remained vacant)

Executive Department, 1798–1949

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  Denotes an Acting United States Secretary of the Navy
No. Portrait Name State Start End President(s)
1 File:Benjamin Stoddert SecNavy.jpg Template:Sortname Maryland Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1797–1801)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1801–1809)
2 File:Secretary of the Navy, Robert Smith.jpg Template:Sortname Maryland Template:Dts Template:Dts
3 File:SECNAVY Paul Hamilton.jpg Template:Sortname South Carolina Template:Dts Template:Dts rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1809–1817)
4 File:Secratary of the Navy, William Jones.jpg Template:Sortname Pennsylvania Template:Dts Template:Dts
5 File:BenjaminWilliamsCrowninshield.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts Template:Dts Template:Dts
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1817–1825)
6 File:Secretary of the Navy, Smith Thompson.jpg Template:Sortname New York Template:Dts Template:Dts
7 File:Samuel L. Southard.jpg Template:Sortname New Jersey Template:Dts Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1825–1829)
8 File:John Branch.jpg Template:Sortname North Carolina Template:Dts Template:Dts rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1829–1837)
9 File:Secretary of the Navy, Levi Woodbury.jpg Template:Sortname New Hampshire Template:Dts Template:Dts
10 File:Secretary of the Navy, Mahlon Dickerson.jpg Template:Sortname New Jersey Template:Dts Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1837–1841)
11 File:James K. Paulding.jpg Template:Sortname New York Template:Dts Template:Dts
12 File:Secretary of the Navy, George E. Badger.jpg Template:Sortname North Carolina Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1841)
rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1841–1845)
13 File:Abel P. Upshur.jpg Template:Sortname Virginia Template:Dts Template:Dts
14 File:David Henshaw.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts Template:Dts Template:Dts
15 File:Thomas W. Gilmer.jpg Template:Sortname Virginia Template:Dts Template:Dts
16 File:JYMason.jpg Template:Sortname Virginia Template:Dts Template:Dts
17 File:George Bancroft United States Secretary of Navy c. 1860.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts Template:Dts Template:Dts rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1845–1849)
18 File:JYMason.jpg Template:Sortname Virginia Template:Dts Template:Dts
19 File:WmBdPreston.jpg Template:Sortname Virginia Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1849–1850)
20 File:William Alexander Graham - Brady-Handy.jpg Template:Sortname North Carolina Template:Dts Template:Dts rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1850–1853)
21 File:John Pendleton Kennedy Smithosonian 1.jpg Template:Sortname Maryland Template:Dts Template:Dts
22 File:James Cochran Dobbin, attributed to John Cranch, c. 1845, oil on canvas, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-9300792A.jpg Template:Sortname North Carolina Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1853–1857)
23 File:Isaac Toucey - Brady-Handy.jpg Template:Sortname Connecticut Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1857–1861)
24 File:Gideon Welles cph.3b20114.jpg Template:Sortname Connecticut Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1861–1865)
style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1865–1869)
25 File:Adolph Borie, Brady-Handy bw photo portrait, ca1860-1875.jpg Template:Sortname Pennsylvania Template:Dts Template:Dts rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1869–1877)
26 File:George Robeson 1865 1880.jpg Template:Sortname New Jersey Template:Dts Template:Dts
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:William Faxon.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1877–1881)
27 File:RWThompson.jpg Template:Sortname Indiana Template:Dts Template:Dts
28 File:Nathan Goff, Jr. - Brady-Handy.jpg Template:Sortname West Virginia Template:Dts Template:Dts
29 File:William-Henry-Hunt.jpg Template:Sortname Louisiana Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1881)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1881–1885)
30 File:Wm Eaton Chandler.jpg Template:Sortname New Hampshire Template:Dts Template:Dts
31 File:William Collins Whitney by Charles Milton Bell c1892.jpg Template:Sortname New York Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1885–1889)
32 File:BFTracy.jpg Template:Sortname New York Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1889–1893)
33 File:Hilary A. Herbert.jpg Template:Sortname Alabama Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1893–1897)
34 File:JDLong.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1897–1901)
rowspan=6 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1901–1909)
35 File:WHMoody.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts Template:Dts Template:Dts
36 File:Paul Morton.jpg Template:Sortname Illinois Template:Dts Template:Dts
37 File:CJBonaparte.jpg Template:Sortname Maryland Template:Dts Template:Dts
38 File:Victor H Metcalf 002.jpg Template:Sortname California Template:Dts Template:Dts
39 File:Truman Handy Newberry (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Michigan Template:Dts Template:Dts
40 File:Portrait of George von Lengerke Meyer.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1909–1913)
41 File:Josephus Daniels 1.jpg Template:Sortname North Carolina Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1913–1921)
42 File:ECDenby.jpg Template:Sortname Michigan Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1921–1923)
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1923–1929)
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43 File:Curtis D. Wilbur, (3-24-24) LOC npcc.10863 (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname California Template:Dts Template:Dts
44 File:Charles Francis AdamsⅢ.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts Template:Dts Template:Dts style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1929–1933)
45 File:SWANSON, CLAUDE. HONORABLE LCCN2016856629 (3x4a).jpg Template:Sortname Virginia Template:Dts Template:Dts rowspan=7 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1933–1945)
46 File:Charles Edison.jpg Template:Sortname New Jersey Template:Dts Template:Dts
Template:Dts Template:Dts
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47 File:Frank Knox 1940s portrait.jpg Template:Sortname Illinois Template:Dts Template:Dts
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48 File:James Forrestal - SecOfDef.jpg Template:Sortname New York Template:Dts Template:Dts
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1945–1953)
49 File:John L Sullivan SecofNavy.jpg Template:Sortname New Hampshire Template:Dts Template:Dts
50 File:Francis P. Matthews.jpg Template:Sortname Nebraska Template:Dts Template:Dts

Military Department (Department of Defense), 1949–present

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  Denotes an Acting United States Secretary of the Navy
No. Portrait Name Term of office President(s)
Start End Duration
50 File:Francis P. Matthews.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age". rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1945–1953)
51 File:DanAKimball.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
52 File:80-G-K-14927 Robert B. Anderson.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age". rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1953–1961)
53 File:CharlesSThomas Cropped.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
54 File:Thomas S Gates Jr..jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
55 File:K-19407 William B. Franke official portrait (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
56 File:John Connally.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age". rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1961–1963)
57 File:FredKorth.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:PaulBFay.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1963–1969)
58 File:Nitze, Paul.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
59 File:Ignatius, Paul Robert.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1969–1974)
60 File:J.L. 3814 John H. Chafee, 1969 (cropped)-2.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
61 File:John W Warner Sec of Navy.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
62 File:John William Middendorf (1969).jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1974–1977)
63 File:W. Graham Claytor 1984.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age". rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1977–1981)
64 File:I06944k.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
65 File:John Lehman, official photo as Secretary of the Navy, 1982.JPEG Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age". rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1981–1989)
66 File:James Webb, Assistant Secretary of Defense, official photo.JPEG Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
67 File:Secretary of the Navy William Ball.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1989–1993)
68 File:Henry Lawrence Garrett III, official Navy photo, 1987.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:J. Daniel Howard, Under Secretary of the Navy (2).jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
69 File:Sean O'Keefe, official Navy photo, 1992.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:Admiral Frank Kelso, official military photo.JPEG Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age". rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1993–2001)
70 File:DaltonJohn.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
71 File:Richard Danzig, official Navy photo.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:Robert Pirie, official photo portrait, circa 2001.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age". rowspan=7 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(2001–2009)
72 File:Gordon England portrait.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:US Navy 030202-N-0000X-001 Under Secretary of the Navy.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
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73 File:Gordon England portrait.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts[13] Script error: No such module "age".
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74 File:Donald Winter, official photo as Secretary of the Navy, 2006.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts[13] Template:Dts[14] Script error: No such module "age".
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(2009–2017)
ActingScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:PennBJ.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts[14] Template:Dts[15] Script error: No such module "age".
75 File:SECNAV-Mabus-OfficialPhoto2-2014.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts[14] Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
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(2017–2021)
76 File:Richard V. Spencer.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
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76 File:Richard V. Spencer.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
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77 File:Kenneth J. Braithwaite II official photo.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts[16] Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
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(2021–2025)
78 File:Carlos Del Toro SECNAV portrait.jpg Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Script error: No such module "age".
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(2025–present)
79 File:Secretary of Navy John Phelan.png Template:Sortname Template:Dts Incumbent Script error: No such module "age".

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:USSecNavy Template:Current US Department of Defense Secretaries

  1. REDIRECT Template:United States Department of Defense

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  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Joseph HewesTemplate:Webarchive. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval Historical and Heritage Command.
  12. ↑ Benson J. Lossing. Household History for All Readers Template:Webarchive. 1877. Republished in Our Country vol. 2
  13. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (Archived by WebCite at WebCite)
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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