Two weeks after the Senate cleared the final promotion backlog for four-star officers, major Navy commands have started transferring from temporary leaders to permanent commanders.
The carefully orchestrated web of changes of commands, promotions and retirements that were planned for the summer of 2023 were upended, leaving major three and four-star commands overseen by temporary leaders while the nominated reliefs were in limbo.
Now that Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.), released the last holds on en bloc confirmations for military promotions in the Senate, change of command ceremonies are occurring across the fleet to place permanent commanders in major positions.
U.S. Fleet Forces deputy commander Vice Adm. Jim Kilby is set to be promoted to his fourth star and to serve as the vice chief of naval operations on Thursday, a Navy spokesperson told USNI News. Current Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti has been serving in both roles since former CNO Adm. Mike Gilday retired in August.
On Wednesday, newly promoted Vice Adm. Jim Downey took the helm of Naval Sea Systems Command in a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard.
NAVSEA – responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of the Navy’s surface ships and submarines – had been under temporary command by Navy two-star and PEO Ships Rear Adm. Thomas Anderson since September, when Vice Adm. Bill Galinis retired from the Navy’s top shipbuilding job.
During the ceremony, Downey said the U.S. Navy must increase the operationality availability of ships in the fleet.
“In the coming months every component of NAVSEA will be fine-tuning our objectives and desired end states to meet those mission requirements,” Downey said.
“It also means we must deepen the strategic dialogue among the warfighters and shipbuilding stakeholders. We’ll leverage advances in modeling, virtual reality, artificial intelligence to positively impact costs, to optimize systems and to improve collaboration across all stakeholders.”
Downey, who as a two-star was the program executive officer for aircraft carriers, had been temporarily assigned as military deputy for the office of assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition (RDA).
“Working through some very tough challenges, you were instrumental in delivering the USS Gerald R. Ford to the fleet and ensuring that she was ready for her first full deployment,” CNO Franchetti said of Downey in a speech at the ceremony.
“Because of your work, your leadership and that of the PEO carriers team, the Ford Carrier Strike Group has performed magnificently on her maiden deployment.”
On Dec. 22, Naval Surface Forces held a change of command, turning over the job from temporary commander Rear Adm. Yvette Davids to new permanent SWO Boss Vice Adm. Brendan McLane.
Davids will head to Annapolis for a third star and to take over as the Naval Academy superintendent, while acting super Rear Adm. Fred Kacher will take over as U.S. 7th Fleet commander in Japan. Current 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Karl Thomas will head to D.C. from Yokosuka to serve as the head of naval intelligence on the CNO’s staff.
On Dec. 18, Vice Adm. Scott Gray took command of Navy Installations Command, relieving Rear Admiral John Menoni at a ceremony at the Navy Yard.
Vice Adm. (Ret.) Jeffrey Trussler, virtually presided over Rear Adm. Robert Gaucher’s promotion ceremony to Vice Admiral before he assumed command of Commander, Submarine Forces. pic.twitter.com/9pPu3IrB4F
— Commander, Submarine Forces Atlantic (@COMSUBLANT) December 28, 2023
On Dec. 28, Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher was sworn in as the head of the Naval Submarine Forces in Norfolk, Va., relieving Vice Adm. Bill Houston. Houston is scheduled to get a fourth star and take charge as director, Naval Reactors from Adm. Frank Caldwell on Jan. 10.
The timing of other pending moves, including when current U.S. 5th Fleet commander Vice. Adm. Brad Cooper will move to his new role as the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, is unclear. Rear Adm. George Wikoff is set to be the next leader of the Middle East-based fleet and is currently acting as the temporary commander of U.S. Naval Air Forces. The date when Rear Adm. Daniel Cheever, who is confirmed to serve as the new Air Boss, is still pending, USNI News understands.
