United States Secretary of the Navy

Template:Short description Template: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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

By law, the Secretary of the Navy must be a civilian at least five years removed from active military service. 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Responsibilities

The Department of the Navy (DoN) consists of two uniformed services: the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="usn">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

Template:Legend<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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<ref>Joseph HewesTemplate:Webarchive. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval Historical and Heritage Command.</ref>
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<ref>Benson J. Lossing. Household History for All Readers Template:Webarchive. 1877. Republished in Our Country vol. 2</ref>

(Post of Secretary of Marine created but remained vacant)

Executive Department, 1798–1949

Template:Legend

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:Robert Smith SecNavy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
3	File:Paul Hamilton SecNavy.jpeg	Template:Sortname	South Carolina	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1809–1817)
4	File:William-Jones.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
5	File:BWCrowninshield.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
						rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1817–1825)
6	File:SmithThompson.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
7	File:Samuel L. Southard SecNavy.jpg	Template:Sortname	New Jersey	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
						style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1825–1829)
8	File:JohnBranch2.jpg	Template:Sortname	North Carolina	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1829–1837)
9	File:Levi Woodbury.jpg	Template:Sortname	New Hampshire	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
10	File:Mahlon Dickerson.jpg	Template:Sortname	New Jersey	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
						rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1837–1841)
11	File:JKPaulding.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
12	File:George Edmund Badger, half-length portrait, facing three-quarters to left (cropped).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 SecNavy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
14	File:David Henshaw SecNavy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
15	File:Thomas Gilmer newer.jpeg	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 (3x4a).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
Template:Small	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 (1).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)
Template:Small	File:LC-DIG-ggbain-37582.jpg	Template:Sortname		Template:Dts	Template:Dts
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
Template:Small	File:Lewis Compton (Assistant Secretary of the Navy).jpg	Template:Sortname		Template:Dts	Template:Dts
47	File:Fknox.jpg	Template:Sortname	Illinois	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
Template:Small	File:Ralph A. Bard cph.3a40857.jpg	Template:Sortname		Template:Dts	Template:Dts
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

Template:Legend

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office			President(s)
			Start	End	Duration
50	File:Francis P. Matthews.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1945–1953)
51	File:DanAKimball.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
52	File:80-G-K-14927 Robert B. Anderson.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1953–1961)
53	File:CharlesSThomas Cropped.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
54	File:Thomas S Gates Jr..jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
55	File:K-19407 William B. Franke official portrait (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
56	File:John Connally.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1961–1963)
57	File:FredKorth.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:PaulBFay.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
						rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1963–1969)
58	File:Nitze, Paul.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small		Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
59	File:Ignatius, Paul Robert.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
						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	Template:Age in days
61	File:John W Warner Sec of Navy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
62	File:John William Middendorf (1969).jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
						style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1974–1977)
63	File:W. Graham Claytor 1984.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1977–1981)
64	File:I06944k.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
65	File:John Lehman, official photo as Secretary of the Navy, 1982.JPEG	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	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	Template:Age in days
67	File:Secretary of the Navy William Ball.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
						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	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:J. Daniel Howard, Under Secretary of the Navy (2).jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
69	File:Sean O'Keefe, official Navy photo, 1992.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
			Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:Admiral Frank Kelso, official military photo.JPEG	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1993–2001)
70	File:DaltonJohn.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
71	File:Richard Danzig, official Navy photo.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:Robert Pirie, official photo portrait, circa 2001.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=7 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2001–2009)
72	File:Gordon England portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:US Navy 030202-N-0000X-001 Under Secretary of the Navy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:US Navy 030402-N-0000X-001 Secretary of the Navy Hansford T. Johnson (Acting).jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
73	File:Gordon England portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts<ref name="aviles">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:AvilesDionel.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts<ref name="aviles"/>	Template:Dts<ref name="aviles"/>	Template:Age in days
74	File:Donald Winter, official photo as Secretary of the Navy, 2006.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts<ref name="aviles"/>	Template:Dts<ref name="resign">Template:Cite press release</ref>	Template:Age in days
						rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2009–2017)
Template:Small	File:PennBJ.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts<ref name="resign"/>	Template:Dts<ref name="ray">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} (Archived by WebCite at WebCite)</ref>	Template:Age in days
75	File:SECNAV-Mabus-OfficialPhoto2-2014.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts<ref name="resign"/>	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:Sean J. Stackley.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=7 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2017–2021)
76	File:Richard V. Spencer.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:Thomas B. Modly.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
76	File:Richard V. Spencer.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:Thomas B. Modly.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:James McPherson Acting Navy Secretary.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
77	File:Kenneth J. Braithwaite II official photo.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:Thomas W. Harker official photo.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2021–2025)
78	File:Carlos Del Toro SECNAV portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days
Template:Small	File:Terence G. Emmert (2).jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Age in days	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2025–present)
79	File:Secretary of Navy John Phelan.png	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Incumbent	Template:Age in days

See also

• Military awards of the United States Department of the Navy
• Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards
• Stephen Mallory, the only Secretary of the Navy of the Confederate States of America

External links

• Template:Official website