Statutory office and the head of the U.S. Department of the Navy
Not to be confused with Chief of Naval Operations.
Secretary of the Navy
Seal of the Department of the Navy
Flag of the secretary
Incumbent Carlos Del Toro since 9 August 2021
Department of the Navy
Style
Mister Secretary The Honorable (formally)
Abbreviation
SECNAV
Reports to
Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense
Appointer
The President, with Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrument
10 U.S.C. § 8013
Formation
18 June 1798; 225 years ago (18 June 1798)
First holder
Benjamin Stoddert
Succession
3rd in SecDef succession
Deputy
The Under Secretary (Principal Civilian Deputy) Chief of Naval Operations (Navy Advisor and Deputy) The Commandant (Marine Corps Advisor and Deputy)
Salary
Executive Schedule, level II
Website
www.secnav.navy.mil
The secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer (10 U.S.C. § 8013) and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the secretary of the Navy must be a civilian at least five years removed from active military service. The secretary is appointed by the president and requires confirmation by the Senate.
The secretary of the Navy was, from its creation in 1798, a member of the president's Cabinet until 1949, when the secretary of the Navy (and the secretaries of the Army and Air Force) were by amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 made subordinate to the secretary of defense.[1]
On August 7, 2021, Carlos Del Toro was confirmed as secretary of the Navy.[2]
From 2001 to 2019, proposals to rename the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, which would have also renamed the secretary of the Navy to the secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps, were introduced with wide support in the United States Congress, but failed due to the opposition of Senator and former U.S. Navy officer John McCain.[3]
^"Guide to Federal Records – General Records of the Department of the Navy, 1798–1947". Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2007.
^Quinn, Melissa; Segers, Grace (20 January 2021). "Who is leading federal agencies until Senate confirms Biden's nominees". CBS News. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
^Bacon, Lance M. (2 May 2016). "Congressman: I'll 'keep fighting like a bulldog' to rename the Navy Department for Marines". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
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