The highest-ranking civilian in the US Navy, John Phelan, has stepped down with immediate effect, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday without giving any reason for his sudden departure.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated in a post on X that Phelan’s deputy, Hung Cao, will assume the role on an interim basis.
This resignation is the latest in a series of senior US military officials being removed—often without explanation—since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Earlier this month, General Randy George, the Chief of Staff of the US Army, was suddenly dismissed during the ongoing conflict with Iran, without any explanation offered by the Pentagon.
Two other generals, David Hodne, who oversaw Army transformation and training, and William Green Jr, head of the military chaplain corps, were also removed abruptly.
In February 2025, shortly after Trump’s return to power, General Charles “CQ” Brown, the joint chiefs chairman appointed by former President Joe Biden, was ousted without cause and replaced by Dan Caine.
Several other high-ranking officials — including those leading the Navy, Coast Guard and National Security Agency, and the deputy chief of staff of the Air Force — have also been dismissed in recent months.
