Adm. Daryl Caudle (BS ‘85) was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 31 to serve as the next Chief of Naval Operations to the United States. Caudle, who has a degree in chemical engineering from NC State University, was nominated by President Donald Trump to the role on June 18.

Caudle has served in a number of military leadership roles during his career. Since 2021, he has been commander of the United States Fleet Forces and has more than 125 ships, 1,000 aircraft and 103,000 active service members and government employees under his charge. 

In May, he delivered the commencement address for NC State and received an honorary Doctor of Science, 40 years after his own graduation from the university. The Winston-Salem native reflected on how the university’s motto — Think and Do — influenced his career, starting during his early days onboard submarines, hundreds of feet below the surface. 

“It sounds so simple,” Caudle said in his commencement address. “Two words, but don’t let their brevity fool you. Think and Do is more than a motto. It’s a charge, a way of life, a compass. It means we must lead lives of both reflection and action, that we cannot merely ponder challenges. We must step up to confront them, and we can’t rush to action without first understanding what we’re doing and why.”

Caudle has also served as commander of various U.S. Navy task forces as well as vice director for strategy, plans and policy of the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C. He is a licensed professional engineer, and he holds one master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and another in engineering management from Old Dominion University. Caudle earned his doctorate in organizational leadership with a specialization in information systems and technology from the University of Phoenix, where he studied military decision-making in cybersecurity.

The Chief of Naval Operations is a four-year role appointed by the president. The person appointed to this role must have significant experience in joint duty assignments and a full tour of duty as a flag officer. They report directly to the Secretary of the Navy.

From all of NC State, congratulations to Adm. Caudle. 

This article was originally published by Nicole Zelniker for NC State College of Engineering News.