Michael Martin Gilday (born October 10, 1962) is a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

officer who has served as the 32nd chief of naval operations since August 22, 2019. Gilday has commanded two

destroyers In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

, served as

Director of the Joint Staff The director of the Joint Staff (DJS) is a three-star officer who assists the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a cabinet of senior military officers within the United States Armed Forces who advise the secretary of defense and the president on military ...

, commanded the

Tenth Fleet The U.S. Tenth Fleet is a functional formation and a numbered fleet in the United States Navy. It was first created as an anti-submarine warfare coordinating organization during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It was react ...

/ Fleet Cyber Command, and led

Carrier Strike Group 8 Commander, Carrier Strike Group 8, abbreviated as CCSG-8 or COMCARSTRKGRU 8, is one of five U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command. the group flagship is the ''Nimitz''-class aircraft carrier ...

Early life and education

Gilday was born in

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...

, and is a 1985 graduate of the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

as a Surface Warfare Officer. He has also graduated with master's from the

Harvard Kennedy School The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

and the National War College.

Career

24th International Seapower Symposium 210916-N-BL637-1139

Gilday's previous tours include duty with , , as well as commanding the and and

Destroyer Squadron 7 Destroyer Squadron 7 (DesRon 7) is a naval unit of the United States Navy stationed in Singapore. It is assigned to the United States Seventh Fleet. Command history 1920-1922 Destroyer Squadron 7 (DesRon 7) was first established in September 1 ...

. He also had staff assignments on the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Chief of Naval Operation (Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate) and staff to the

vice chief of naval operations The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) is the second highest-ranking commissioned United States Navy officer in the Department of the Navy and functions as the principal deputy of the chief of naval operations and by statute, the vice chief ...

. His joint assignments include Naval Aide to the President and executive assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gilday was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor for his actions aboard ''Princeton'' when the ship was damaged by an Iraqi mine during the Persian Gulf War. As a

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countries ...

, Gilday served as Director of Operations for NATO's Joint Force Command in Lisbon and Director of Operations for

United States Cyber Command United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It unifies the direction of cyberspace operations, strengthens DoD cyberspace capabilities, and integr ...

. He assumed the duties of Commander, Fleet Cyber Command and

United States Tenth Fleet The U.S. Tenth Fleet is a functional formation and a numbered fleet in the United States Navy. It was first created as an anti-submarine warfare coordinating organization during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It was reac ...

on July 14, 2016, was appointed Director of Operations for the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

in May 2018, and became

from March 1, 2019. On July 11, 2019, Gilday was nominated for appointment as the next chief of naval operations (CNO). On August 1, the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

voted unanimously to award Gilday a fourth star following the Senate Armed Services Committee's recommendation that he succeed Admiral John M. Richardson as CNO in September 2019. On April 15, 2020, Gilday announced the Navy was considering reinstating Brett Crozier, earlier fired in relation to Crozier's controversial response to

coronavirus disease Coronavirus diseases are caused by viruses in the coronavirus subfamily, a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, the group of viruses cause respiratory tract infections that can range from ...

on the aircraft carrier . Gilday, and the acting

United States secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

, James E. McPherson recommended that Crozier be reinstated as Captain of the Roosevelt on April 25, 2020. On August 10, 2020, Gilday was running on the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serv ...

base, where he lives, when he “fell ill”. Gilday was assisted by a passing Marine, and was taken to his physician. He underwent heart surgery for a pre-existing condition about two weeks later. He returned to work full-time on September 28.Report: CNO ‘fell ill,' had heart surgery last month

Navy Times ''Navy Times'' (ISSN 0028-1697) is an American newspaper published 26 times per year serving active, reserve and retired United States Navy personnel and their families, providing news, information, analysis, community lifestyle features, educa ...

, 2020-09-30.

Awards and decorations

References

External links

*
Response to the fire aboard
the , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilday, Michael United States Navy personnel of the Gulf War Harvard Kennedy School alumni Living people National War College alumni Military personnel from Massachusetts Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy admirals 1962 births People from Lowell, Massachusetts Chiefs of Naval Operations