Adm. Chris Grady — just nominated to be the nation’s No. 2 military officer — turned over Norfolk-based Fleet Forces Command to a new commander, Adm. Daryl Caudle, with a call to sailors to remember the determination that won World War II.
Grady introduced the idea of the command as the Navy’s foundry where it forges readiness of its people and ships, submarines and aircraft, Caudle said, after receiving and giving the salute that formally transfers command, at a ceremony Tuesday morning on the hangar deck of USS George H.W. Bush.
Fleet Forces is responsible for manning, training and equipping more than 125 ships, 1,000 aircraft, and 103,000 active duty service members and government employees to provide combat-ready forces to the Navy’s worldwide fleets.
Grady, who had commanded Fleet Forces since 2018, is officially the Navy’s “Old Salt,” the longest serving surface warfare officer. During his time at Fleet Forces, it reestablished the U.S. 2nd Fleet, which is responsible for operations in the Atlantic, set up NATO’s Joint Force Command, the alliance’s only operational command based in the United States and launched the U.S. Strategic Command’s Joint Force Maritime Component Command, which is responsible for the Navy’s portion of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.
“He understood that we have a persistent, proximate threat,” said Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command.
“We haven’t faced a threat situation like this in 30 years,” said Adm. Charles “Chas” A. Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command.
Caudle comes to Fleet Forces after service as commanding officer of U.S. Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. He previously served as commanding officer of USS Jefferson City, as well as deputy chief for security cooperation, Office of the Defense Representative in Pakistan.
