Locator: 50593SACKED.
This absolutely makes my day. On April 10, 2026, just twelve days ago, I wrote:
I first "met" Peter Zeihan back in 2022, or thereabouts, when he published The End Of The World Is Just The Beginning, published June 14, 2022. The big -- almost my only -- takeaway from that book:
- the importance of water for trade; and,
- the US Navy, alone, protected free and safe passage on the water, worldwide.
My notes, very, very sparse, on that book, are here.
Time to take a look at the current CNO and the former CNO:
- current CNO: advanced degrees in engineering; naval career -- submariner.
- former
CNO: undergraduate degree in journalism; naval career -- mostly
executive officer, assistant director, acting director positions --
surface warfare; appointed by Biden; sacked by Hegseth
US Secretary of the Navy:
- John C. Phelan
- businessman (no military experience?)
- huge fundraiser for Trump
- art collector
- married
to former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader; date of marriage unknown, but
long term romance; he was 36 or 37 years old when he married.
Of
the last ten US secretaries of the navy, how many have had no military
experience? Even experience in the defense industry? One. Exactly one
has had no military experience. John C. Phelan.
Of the recent U.S. Navy Secretaries, only one of the last ten
(John Phelan, confirmed in 2025) has had no prior military experience.
While some nominees in recent years faced scrutiny over limited
background in national security, most secretaries in the last 15–20
years served in the armed forces or held high-level defense
industry/government roles.
And folks are concerned about Hegseth? LOL.
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So, to repeat the high points -- the point I was trying to make.
CNO: chief of naval operations. The most important US combatant commander -- the CNO -- submarines, nuclear missiles; air wings; and transportation arm for the US Marines. I can't think of a more important US combatant commander and then consider the geography of the world.
So under Biden, the CNO he appointed was a journalism major in college. Seriously, there is no degree less rigorous than journalism. Compare that CNO's background with every CNO before and since.
Then, the Secretary of the Navy -- this is who Trump appointed:
- John C. Phelan
- businessman (no military experience)
- huge fundraiser for Trump
- art collector
- married
to former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader; date of marriage unknown, but
long term romance; he was 36 or 37 years old when he married.
- how is the date of a marriage not known? In America, isn't there something like a marriage license required. Yes, I know common law marriages, but this source suggested there was a specific, but unknown, date.
Of
the last ten US secretaries of the navy, how many have had no military
experience? Even experience in the defense industry? One. Exactly one
has had no military experience. John C. Phelan.
Of the recent U.S. Navy Secretaries, only one of the last ten
(John Phelan, confirmed in 2025) has had no prior military experience.
While some nominees in recent years faced scrutiny over limited
background in national security, most secretaries in the last 15–20
years served in the armed forces or held high-level defense
industry/government roles.
And you can't say the current president has had no military experience. He was a commander-in-chief for four years, 2017 - 2021.
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Today: It's Being Announced -- John C Phelan is leaving.
Wow, wow, wow -- about time. It will be interesting to see who will replace him.
Hung Cao, the undersecretary of the Navy will be the acting secretary until Trump appoints a new secretary.
Hung Cao? Link here.
After immigrating to the United States in 1975, Cao and his family moved to West Africa. He returned to Northern Virginia at the age of twelve and later graduated with the inaugural class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He entered the Navy as a Seaman Recruit in 1989 and was later commissioned as a Special Operations Officer from the United States Naval Academy in 1996.
As a Navy Diver, Cao led underwater missions around the world. As an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer, he led counter improvised threat missions for Special Warfare and Special Forces around the world with multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. In his final tour of duty, he led sensitive activities, exploitation, counter-messaging and counter-drone operations in support of the Geographic Combatant Commanders and Special Operations Command. He retired from active duty in October 2021 as a Captain.
Prior to his appointment, Cao was a Vice President and Client Executive at CACI International. He helped in fielding electronic warfare packages, counter-drone technology, optical communications, photonics, enterprise IT and shipyard infrastructure optimization in support of the Department of the Navy.
Cao is a decorated combat veteran, a qualified Navy Special Operations, EOD and Diving Officer, Naval Parachutist, and Surface Warfare Officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Ocean Engineering, a master’s degree in Applied Physics and was a Fellow with MIT Seminar XXI and Harvard Kennedy School. He is fluent in French and Vietnamese. Cao and his wife April have five children.
AI query: why was John C Phelan sacked?
Reply:
- As of April 22, 2026, the Pentagon announced that Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his post effective immediately, with sources confirming he was fired, according to reuters via tucson.com. No official reason was given for the sudden departure, which occurred after a 13-month tenure marked by internal friction and a wider shake-up of top US defense leadership by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
And folks are concerned about Hegseth. He's the least of our problems. In fact, he's taking care of a lot of problems. Exhibit A: John C. Phelan.
By the way, the meme -- Hegseth sacking military generals -- the meme -- it gets tedious.
