The Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) is the second highest ranking officer in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. In the event that the Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

 (CNO) is absent or is unable to perform his duties, the VCNO assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CNO. The VCNO may also perform other duties that the CNO assigns to him. The VCNO is appointed by the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

, and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

. By statute, the VCNO is appointed as a four-star admiral

Admiral (United States)

In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...

.

This position was called Assistant for Operations in 1915, and Assistant Chief of Naval Operations in 1922. In 1942 the title became Vice Chief of Naval Operations. The current VCNO is Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III

Mark E. Ferguson III

Mark E. Ferguson III is a United States Navy four-star admiral who currently serves as the 37th Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as the 55th Chief of Naval Personnel which he also concurrently serves as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations from April 16, 2008 to August 5, 2011...

.
Previous VCNOs include:

	Vice Chief of Naval Operations	Tenure
1	VADM (ADM) Frederick J. Horne Frederick J. Horne Admiral Frederick Joseph Horne was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy. As the first Vice Chief of Naval Operations, he directed all Navy logistics during World War II.-Early career:...	26 March 1942 - 2 September 1945
2	ADM Richard S. Edwards Jr. Richard S. Edwards Admiral Richard Stanislaus Edwards served in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Edwards was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1903...	1945–1946
3	ADM DeWitt Clinton Ramsey	15 January 1946 - 3 January 1948
4	ADM Arthur W. Radford Arthur W. Radford Arthur William Radford was a United States Navy Admiral, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Arthur Radford was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1896...	January 1948 – May 1949
5	ADM John D. Price	1949–1950
6	ADM Lynde D. McCormick Lynde D. McCormick Admiral Lynde Dupuy McCormick was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as vice chief of naval operations from 1950 to 1951 and as commander in chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet from 1951 to 1954, and was the first supreme allied commander of all NATO forces in the...	1950–1951
7	ADM Donald B. Duncan Donald B. Duncan Donald Bradley Duncan was an admiral in the United States Navy, who played an important role in aircraft-carrier operations during World War II....	1951–1956
8	ADM Harry D. Felt Harry D. Felt Admiral Harry Donald Felt was an aviator in the United States Navy who led U.S. carrier strikes during World War II and later served as commander in chief of Pacific Command from 1958 to 1964.-Early career:...	1956–1958
9	ADM James S. Russell	21 July 1958 - 1961
10	ADM Claude V. Ricketts Claude V. Ricketts Admiral Claude Vernon Ricketts served in the United States Navy as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.Originally enlisted in the Navy, Ricketts attended the United States Naval Academy and became an officer upon his graduation in 1929. As a lieutenant, he was the gunnery officer on board the ...	1961 - 6 July 1964
11	ADM Horacio Rivero, Jr. Horacio Rivero, Jr. Admiral Horacio Rivero, Jr. , was the first Puerto Rican four-star Admiral and second Hispanic to become a full Admiral in the modern United States Navy. David Glasgow Farragut , a Hispanic, became the first full admiral of the Navy during the American Civil War. After retiring from the Navy,...	July 1964 - January 1968
12	ADM Bernard A. Clarey Bernard A. Clarey Bernard Ambrose Clarey , nicknamed "Chick", was an admiral of the United States Navy. A submarine commander during World War II, he served during the late 1960s as Vice Chief of Naval Operations and in the early 1970s and Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.-Early life and career:Clarey was...	January 1968 - December 1970
13	ADM Ralph W. Cousins Ralph W. Cousins Ralph W. Cousins was a United States Navy four star admiral and aviator. As an aircraft carrier pilot, Cousins led dive-bomber attacks against the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 for which he was awarded the Navy Cross...	1970–1972
14	ADM Maurice F. Weisner Maurice F. Weisner Maurice Franklin Weisner was a United States Navy four-star admiral who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1972 to 1973; Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet from 1973 to 1976; and Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command from 1976 to 1979...	1972–1973
15	ADM James L. Holloway III James L. Holloway III James Lemuel Holloway III is a retired United States Navy admiral and naval aviator who was highly decorated for his actions during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. After the Vietnam War, he was posted to The Pentagon, where he established the Navy's Nuclear Powered Carrier...	September 1973 - 1974
16	ADM Worth H. Bagley	June 1974 - July 1975
17	ADM Harold E. Shear	1975–1977
18	ADM Robert L. J. Long	July 1977 - April 1979
19	ADM James D. Watkins James D. Watkins Admiral James David Watkins is a retired United States Navy officer and former Chief of Naval Operations who also served as U.S. Secretary of Energy during the George H. W. Bush Administration and chaired U.S. government commissions on HIV/AIDS and ocean policy. Watkins has also served on the...	April 1979 - 1981
20	ADM William N. Small	1981–1983
21	ADM Ronald J. Hays Ronald J. Hays Ronald Jackson Hays is a retired United States Navy four star admiral who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1983 to 1985; and as Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command from 1985 to 1988....	1983–1985
22	ADM James B. Busey IV	September 1985 - 1987
23	ADM Huntington Hardisty Huntington Hardisty Huntington Hardisty was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1987 to 1988; and Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command from 1988 to 1991....	1987–1988
24	ADM Leon A. Edney Leon A. Edney Leon Albert "Bud" Edney is a retired United States Navy officer. A native of Dedham, Massachusetts, he retired from the Navy as an admiral and served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy.-Naval career:...	August 1988 - May 1990
25	ADM Jerome L. Johnson Jerome L. Johnson Jerome Lamarr Johnson is a retired United States Navy four star admiral who served as commander of the U.S. Second Fleet, Joint Task Force 120, and NATO's Striking Fleet Atlantic from 1988 to 1990 and as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1990 to 1992.He graduated from Texas A&M University in...	May 1990 - July 1992
26	ADM Stanley R. Arthur	6 July 1992 - 1995
27	ADM Joseph W. Prueher Joseph Prueher Joseph Wilson Prueher served as United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 1999 to 2001. He was succeeded as ambassador by Clark T. Randt, Jr...	April 1995 - 1996
28	ADM Jay L. Johnson Jay L. Johnson Admiral Jay L. Johnson, USN, is a retired United States Navy officer who served from 1996-2000 as 26th Chief of Naval Operations . He succeeded to the position following the death of Admiral Jeremy M. Boorda...	April 1996 - August 1996
29	ADM Harold W. Gehman, Jr. Harold W. Gehman, Jr. Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr. is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic , Commander-in-Chief of the United States Joint Forces Command, one of the United States' Unified Combatant Commands, and Vice Chief of Naval Operations...	September 1996 - September 1997
30	ADM Donald L. Pilling Donald L. Pilling Donald Lee Pilling was a retired four-star United States Navy admiral who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1997 to 2000.-Military career:...	October 1997 - October 2000
31	ADM William J. Fallon William J. Fallon William Joseph Fallon is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who retired after serving for over 41 years. His last military assignment was as Commander, U.S. Central Command from March 2007 to March 2008. ADM Fallon was the first Navy officer to hold that position. His other four-star...	October 2000 - August 2003
32	ADM Michael Mullen Michael Mullen Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral, who served as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2011. Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28th Chief of Naval Operations from July 22, 2005 to September 29, 2007...	August 2003 - August 2004
33	ADM John B. Nathman John B. Nathman John B. Nathman is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command until 17 May 2007.-Early career:...	August 2004 - February 2005
34	ADM Robert F. Willard Robert F. Willard Robert F. Willard is a United States Navy admiral who serves as the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. He previously served as Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet from May 8, 2007 to September 25, 2009. Prior to that, he served as the 34th Vice Chief of Naval Operations from March 18, 2005 to April 2007...	18 March 2005 - April 2007
35	ADM Patrick M. Walsh Patrick M. Walsh Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, USN is the 59th Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He served as the 35th Vice Chief of Naval Operations from April 2007 to August 13, 2009, and as Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet from October 2005 to February 27, 2007...	April 2007 – 13 August 2009
36	ADM Jonathan W. Greenert Jonathan W. Greenert Jonathan W. Greenert is a United States Navy admiral currently serving as the 30th Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as the 36th Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 13, 2009 to August 22, 2011. Prior to that, he served as Commander, U.S...	13 August 2009 – 22 August 2011
37	ADM Mark E. Ferguson III Mark E. Ferguson III Mark E. Ferguson III is a United States Navy four-star admiral who currently serves as the 37th Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as the 55th Chief of Naval Personnel which he also concurrently serves as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations from April 16, 2008 to August 5, 2011...	22 August 2011 = Present