U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, who leads North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, presided over a ceremony recognizing Adm. Caudle’s tenure, praising his vision, operational focus, and drive to fortify fleet readiness amid mounting strategic competition.
“For the last three and a half years, [Adm. Caudle] has served simultaneously in four critical positions – Joint Force Maritime Component Commander, Strategic; Commander, United States Naval Forces – Strategic Command; Commander, United States Naval Forces – Northern Command; and Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command,” said Guillot. “In each role, Admiral Caudle served with distinction – persistently advocating for modernization while emphasizing fleet readiness and wartime preparedness.”
During his time in command, Caudle oversaw more than 138,000 Sailors, in excess of 120 ships and submarines, about 1,500 aircraft, seven task forces, and five Carrier Strike Groups. He introduced the “One Atlantic” effort to better integrate command-and-control, bolster homeland defense, and quicken responses to fast-moving threats across the Atlantic, Arctic and High North.
Caudle pushed the Navy’s live, virtual, and constructive training evolution, culminating in the 2024 standup of the Hefti Global LVC Operations Center, which blends real-world and simulated environments to sharpen readiness for high-end conflict. He also led the service’s participation in Large Scale Exercises in 2023 and 2025, spanning 22 time zones across component commands and U.S. numbered fleets and, for the first time this year, incorporating allied and partner forces—an event billed as the Navy’s largest such drill in decades.
His emphasis on homeland defense produced new Maritime Command Elements East and West to streamline command-and-control for maritime defense and disaster response. Fleet-wide readiness efforts, he said, were validated during major naval actions in the Red Sea tied to Operations Prosperity Guardian and Poseidon Archer.
Caudle called the Global Maritime Response Plan his proudest achievement, describing it as a three-year effort to create a framework that uses surge-ready forces and graduated response conditions to manage how the Navy escalates readiness and deploys across the conflict spectrum. “Leading this extraordinary team has been an honor,” Caudle said. “Your dedication, resilience, and pursuit of excellence have been the driving force behind everything Fleet Forces Command achieved in propelling our Navy forward. You are executing a vital role in force development, force generation and force employment, and that is no doubt a relentless effort.”
As he wraps up his tour, Navy officials said Caudle leaves a record of innovation, integration, and strategic foresight intended to shape U.S. naval operations in the years ahead.
