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

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer who last served as the 32nd

chief of naval operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...

from August 22, 2019 to August 14, 2023. Gilday commanded two

destroyers In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

, 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 milita ...

, commanded the Tenth Fleet/ Fleet Cyber Command, and led Carrier Strike Group 8.

Early life and education

Gilday was born in

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...

, and is a 1985 graduate of the

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

as a surface warfare officer. He has also graduated with masters degrees from the

Harvard Kennedy School The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...

and the

National War College In the United States, the National War College (NWC) is a school within the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National ...

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

. His wife's name is Linda and she is an engineer and program manager.

Career

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

Gilday's previous tours include duty with , , executive officer of as well as commanding the and and Destroyer Squadron 7. He also had staff assignments on the

Bureau of Naval Personnel The Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) in the United States Department of the Navy is similar to the human resources department of a corporation. The bureau provides administrative leadership and policy planning for the Office of the Chief of N ...

, 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 and functions as the principal deputy of the Chief of Naval Operations, chief of naval operations. By statute, the vice chief is appo ...

. His joint assignments include Naval Aide to the President and executive assistant to the

chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

. 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 that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...

, 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 integra ...

. He assumed the duties of Commander, Fleet Cyber Command and United States Tenth Fleet 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, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and ...

in May 2018, and became

from March 1, 2019. On July 11, 2019, Gilday was nominated for appointment as the next

(CNO). On August 1, the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

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 Brett Elliott Crozier (born February 24, 1970) is a retired captain in the United States Navy. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he became a naval aviator, first flying helicopters and then switching to fighters. After completing naval ...

, earlier fired in relation to his controversial response to coronavirus disease on the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

. Gilday and the acting

United States Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the United States Department of the Navy, Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On Mar ...

James E. McPherson James Edwin McPherson (born January 20, 1953) is an American government official and retired United States Navy Rear admiral (United States)#Rear admiral, rear admiral. He served as the General Counsel of the Army from January 2, 2018, to March 2 ...

, 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 a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

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. His term as chief of naval operations ended on August 14, 2023.

Awards and decorations

References

External links

*
Response to the fire aboard
the , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilday, Michael 1962 births Chiefs of Naval Operations Harvard Kennedy School alumni Living people National War College alumni Military personnel from Lowell, 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 United States Navy personnel of the Gulf War Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun Recipients of the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)