New top admiral takes over the US Navy amid military firings

Admiral Daryl Caudle took over as the navy’s highest-ranking officer on Monday, ending a six-month vacancy created by the Trump administration’s firing of his predecessor.

Caudle became chief of naval operations as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has been firing a growing list of military leaders with little or no explanation.

In February, Hegseth fired Caudle’s predecessor, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, without explanation.

Neither Caudle nor Navy Secretary John Phelan addressed Franchetti’s removal at the ceremony on Monday, though she was among several former chiefs of naval operations there.

Franchetti had been the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral and is among several female military leaders fired by the Trump administration.

She was ousted the same day as Air Force General Charles “CQ” Brown Jnr was fired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.