President Trump nominated Vice Adm. Michael Gilday as the next head of the Navy on Wednesday, a week after his previous nominee decided to retire instead of taking over the position.
Gilday is the director of the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C. and will be promoted to full admiral if the Senate confirms him for the position of chief of naval operations.
He previously served as commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and the 10th U.S. fleet. Gilday has commanded several ships throughout his career, and was head of the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and Carrier Strike Group 8.
A native of Lowell, Massachusetts, Gilday is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds masters degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School and the National War College.
Gilday’s nomination follows the surprise retirement of Adm. Bill Moran, a popular leader who was Senate-confirmed and poised to take over as chief of naval operations for Adm. John Richardson. Moran cited maintaining a professional relationship with a former Navy officer accused of inappropriate conduct as a reason behind his decision.
