chief of naval operations
noun phrase
: the ranking officer of the navy and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Examples of chief of naval operations in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Senate’s passage of Caine’s nomination comes after Trump blindsided the Pentagon and Congress in February with the firing of seven top officials, including Brown and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first female chief of naval operations.
—
Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has fired two other female admirals: the commandant of the Coast Guard, Linda Fagan, and the chief of naval operations, Lisa Franchetti.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Then, immediately after Pete Hegseth assumed office as secretary of defense, the administration fired the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, the vice chief of the Air Force and the top JAG generals at the Air Force, the Army and the Navy.
—David French, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, chief of naval operations and vice chief of staff of the Air Force were fired.
—Colin Demarest, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025
Also fired were the chief of naval operations, the vice chief staff of the Air Force, and three of the military’s top legal officials.
—Patrick Reis, Vox, 24 Feb. 2025
The last chief of naval operations to not complete a full four-year term in office was Adm. Mike Mullen, who became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2007.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Hegseth could soon fire or remove generals and senior officers, US officials say
Franchetti has been the chief of naval operations since November 2023.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2025
Watching those seeking high-ranking jobs in the Trump administration appear before U.S. Senate committees last week reminded me of what Adm. Elmo Zumwalt once said of his time serving as chief of naval operations.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
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Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has fired two other female admirals: the commandant of the Coast Guard, Linda Fagan, and the chief of naval operations, Lisa Franchetti.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Then, immediately after Pete Hegseth assumed office as secretary of defense, the administration fired the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, the vice chief of the Air Force and the top JAG generals at the Air Force, the Army and the Navy.
—David French, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, chief of naval operations and vice chief of staff of the Air Force were fired.
—Colin Demarest, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025
Also fired were the chief of naval operations, the vice chief staff of the Air Force, and three of the military’s top legal officials.
—Patrick Reis, Vox, 24 Feb. 2025
The last chief of naval operations to not complete a full four-year term in office was Adm. Mike Mullen, who became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2007.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Hegseth could soon fire or remove generals and senior officers, US officials say
Franchetti has been the chief of naval operations since November 2023.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2025
Watching those seeking high-ranking jobs in the Trump administration appear before U.S. Senate committees last week reminded me of what Adm. Elmo Zumwalt once said of his time serving as chief of naval operations.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chief of naval operations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief%20of%20naval%20operations. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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