Chief of Naval Personnel

Chief of Naval Personnel
Seal of BUPERS
Flag of a Navy vice admiral
since June 3, 2022
Bureau of Naval Personnel
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
TypeMilitary personnel administrator
AbbreviationCNP
Reports toSecretary of the Navy
Chief of Naval Operations
SeatNaval Support Facility Arlington, Arlington, Virginia
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Term length4 years
Constituting instrument10 U.S.C. § 8081
Inaugural holderRADM Charles Henry Davis
DeputyDeputy Chief of Naval Personnel
WebsiteOfficial Website

The Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) is responsible for overall manpower readiness for the United States Navy. As such, the CNP is the highest ranking human resources officer in the Navy. The CNP also serves in an additional duty capacity as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Personnel, Manpower, and Training) and is one of five Deputy Chiefs of Naval Operations, with the identification of OPNAV N1/PMT.[1] The CNP oversees the operations of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS), the Navy Manpower Analysis Center (NAVMAC), and the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). While most BUPERS offices are located in Millington, Tennessee and are overseen on a day-to-day basis by the Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel (DCNP), a small BUPERS staff is located in Arlington, Virginia to directly support the CNP. The CNP and the other four DCNOs are nominated by the President of the United States and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. The CNP and the DCNOs are each appointed as a three-star vice admiral while holding office.

The role of Chief of Naval Personnel and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Personnel, Manpower, and Training) go hand-in-hand. The DCNO (N1/PMT) exercises delegated authority from the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in establishing human resource strategy and policy and serves as a single resource sponsor for all manpower and training program matters. The DCNO also performs all Capitol Hill related duties, including Congressional testimony, for matters pertaining to naval personnel, manpower, training, and education. The DCNO's office also acts as the lead organization to interface with Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of the Navy (DON) officials, other U.S. military and foreign departments, other Navy commands, other Federal agencies, and private organizations.

  1. ^ "Chief of Naval Personnel". Leadership. U.S. Navy. 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.