Navy Secretary Phelan Departs Effective Immediately

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that Secretary of the Navy John Phelan is departing his position effective immediately, the latest in a series of high-level changes at the Defense Department amid ongoing U.S. military operations in the Middle East.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell shared the news in a social media statement, saying, "Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately. On behalf of the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy. We wish him well in his future endeavors." Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will serve as acting secretary, stepping into the role to oversee the service's approximately one million active-duty sailors, Marines, reservists and civilians.

The departure, announced without explanation, follows Phelan's appearance the previous day at the Navy League's annual Sea-Air-Space conference near Washington, D.C. There, he addressed sailors, defense industry leaders and reporters, outlining priorities such as strengthening shipbuilding, fostering a warfighting culture and improving personnel welfare and...