Navy Civilianizes Six Former Flag Billets, Reduces Six to Captains

This story has been updated with additional information from the Navy.

The Navy quietly changed six billets held by flag officers to civilian posts as the service looks to follow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s call for “less generals, more GIs.”

Overall, the Navy identified 14 billets held by flag officers that it would either merge with another position, convert to a civilian position or downgrade to a Navy captain.

Nearly all of the now civilian positions are filled by appointees or people acting in that capacity.

Director, Navy staff, N09B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, is currently held by Matthew Swartz, a civilian.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle announced in April that Swartz assumed the position. Swartz will also remain as the executive director for the CNO.

“This leadership consolidation is a deliberate order to shift the Navy staff from a peacetime posture to a warfighting footing in direct alignment with the recently released U.S. Navy Fighting Instructions,” reads the CNO news release.

Deputy chief of naval operations for Information Warfare, N2/N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations/Director of Naval Intelligence was eliminated when OPNAV N2/N6 was disestablished in May.

As part of the realignment, the Navy established the director of OPNAV Intelligence Division (N2), and appointed Steve Parode, a retired rear admiral, to the position. Parode also holds the titles of director of Naval Intelligence Activity and deputy director of Naval Intelligence. He is also acting as director of Naval Intelligence.

The Navy redesigned the N6 organization, which is currently being led by Chris Page, in an acting role.

“N6 will lead the architecture, planning, policy, and resource oversight of the Navy’s mission-essential Networking, Communications, Information Management (IM), Information Technology (IT), Operational Technology (OT), Cybersecurity, Cyberspace Operations (CSO), and Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) capabilities. The N6 is also dual-hatted as the Deputy Department of the Navy (DON) Chief Information Officer–Navy, helping to ensure capabilities are aligned and integrated across the DON and up to the Department of War, information enterprise,” a Navy spokesperson told USNI News.

The new N2 position reports to Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the deputy chief of naval operations (DCNO) for intelligence, operations, strategy and warfighting development (N2N3N5N7).

The N6 position reports to the current deputy chief of naval operations, warfighting requirements and capabilities (N6/N9) is Vice Adm. Michael Wosje.

Additionally, the Navy established an assistant deputy chief of naval operations for Information Warfare Requirements and Capabilities (N6N9C), with civilian Jennifer Edgin in the role. Edgin has since moved on, and the role is not permanently filled.

The third position established by the realignment was the director of Information Warfare (N99). Rear Adm. Susan Bryer Joyner holds the position.

Director, Navy culture and force resilience office, N17, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, currently has an acting director. Paul Rosen took over as acting director after Rear Adm. Jay Clark assumed command of Strike Group 1 in May.

Chief of naval research turned over to Thomas Fu in September, who is performing the duties of Chief of Naval Research. The position was previously held by Rachel Riley, a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee. Riley took over the position in October of 2025 after a stint as a DOGE employee at Health and Human Services. She replaced Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus, according to Politico.

Chief engineer and deputy commander for ship design, integration and naval engineering, SEA-05, Naval Sea Systems Command, continues to be held by Rear Adm. Pete Small, who is also acting commander of NAVSEA. This is the only one of the six billets that is not currently held by a civilian.

The positions that will downgrade to a captain are:

• Commander, Naval Legal Service Command, currently held by Rear Adm. Damian Flatt.
• Assistant deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development, N7B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. It is not clear who is currently in this position. It was held by Rear Adm. Anthony Carullo, who has since retired.
• Director, N3/N5/N7, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. The position was held by Rear Adm. Cassidy Norman until he assumed Carrier Strike Group 11 this year.
• Commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command. It is not clear who currently holds this command.
• Commander, My Navy Career Center, currently held by Rear Adm. Kertreck Brooks. The command was established in 2021, and Brooks is its second commander.
• Commander, Submarine Group Two, currently held by Rear Adm. Melvin Smith.

The Navy is also merging three of the 14 billets. Those billets are:

• Director, Plans, Policy and Integration, N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, which will merge with assistant deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy, N3/N5B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
• Program executive officer, Undersea Warfare Systems, which will merge with AUKUS.
• Chief of test, Naval Air Systems Command, which will merge with chief engineer, Naval Air Systems Command.

While the Navy is decreasing its flag officers, the service added an additional position in October when Vice Adm. Scott Gray assumed command of the new position deputy chief of naval operations of sustainment.

As of July 2026, the Navy had 10 admirals, 30 vice admirals, 53 rear admirals (upper half) and 114 rear admirals (lower half). Over the past five years, the numbers have largely stayed the same.

There were eight admirals in the Navy in July of 2025, 2024 and 2023, a drop from 10 in July of 2022. Vice admirals are the lowest in July of 2026 at 30, compared to 34 in 2025 and 38 in 2024.

Rear admirals (upper) are also at a five-year low at 53, compared to 67 in 2025, 69 in 2024, 60 in 2023, 70 in 2022 and 68 in July 2021.

However, rear admirals (lower) are at a five-year high with 114, up from 106 in 2025, 96 in 2024, 106 in 2023, 108 in 2022 and 108 in 2021.

The Navy did not respond to a request for comment for details on the changes.