CNO, Vice confirmed; Marine on hold

The Senate has confirmed Adm. Bill Moran to be the Chief of Naval Operations, and Vice Adm. Robert Burke to serve as the next Vice CNO. Moran is currently VCNO and Burke is Chief of Naval Personnel. Burke will be promoted to the rank of admiral upon taking on the VCNO job. Current CNO Adm. John Richardson will retire this summer after 37 years. The Navy is facing a challenge to recruit and retain sufficient personnel to man a larger and more complex Navy, but have former personnel chiefs at the top spots may help ensure sufficient focus on those issues. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has held up confirmation of Lt. Gen. David Berger to be the next commandant of the Marine Corps, according to USNI News. Moran and Berger were nominated about the same time, and went through confirmation hearings with the Senate Armed Services Committee together. Three sources confirmed Sullivan was the senator who placed a hold on Berger’s nomination due to local Alaska issues. (Source: USNI News 05/24/19)