# Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy

The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy (CHC) is the highest-ranking military chaplain in the United States Navy and head of the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. As part of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Department of the Navy, the CHC is dual-hatted as the Director of Religious Ministries (N097) under OPNAV. In these capacities, the CHC is the principal advisor to the secretary of the Navy, the chief of naval operations and, where appropriate, the commandant of the Marine Corps and commandant of the Coast Guard "on all matters pertaining to religion within the Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard." For administrative and personnel matters, the CHC reports to the chief of naval personnel.
The position was created in 1917 to "provide a system of appointing qualified and professional chaplains that meet the needs of the Navy". The nominee, as decided by the president of the United States, must be an active-duty officer of the Chaplain Corps above the rank of commander who has served in the Corps for at least eight years. The CHC serves for a 4-year term, but the president may terminate or extend the appointment at his pleasure. By statute, the officeholder holds the two-star rank of rear admiral while serving as Chief.
The current CHC is Rear Admiral Gregory N. Todd, a Lutheran, who assumed office on May 16, 2022.

## List of officeholders

| | Name | Term began | Term ended |
| 1. | CAPT John B. Frazier | November 5, 1917 | November 1921 |
| 2. | CAPT Evan W. Scott | November 1921 | July 1926 |
| 3. | CAPT Curtis H. Dickins | July 1926 | July 1929 |
| 4. | CAPT Sidney K. Evans | July 1929 | July 1935 |
| 5. | CAPT Edward A. Duff | July 1935 | July 1937 |
| 6. | CAPT Robert D. Workman | July 1937 | July 1945 |
| 7. | RADM William N. Thomas | July 1945 | September 1949 |
| 8. | RADM Stanton W. Salisbury | September 1949 | February 1953 |
| 9. | RADM Edward B. Harp, Jr. | February 1953 | June 1958 |
| 10. | RADM George A. Rosso | June 1958 | July 1963 |
| 11. | RADM J. Floyd Dreith | July 1963 | July 1965 |
| 12. | RADM James W. Kelly | July 1965 | July 1970 |
| 13. | RADM Francis L. Garrett | July 1970 | July 1975 |
| 14. | RADM John J. O'Connor | July 1975 | May 1979 |
| 15. | RADM Ross H. Trower | May 1979 | August 1983 |
| 16. | RADM Neil M. Stevenson | August 1983 | August 1985 |
| 17. | RADM John R. McNamara | August 1985 | June 1988 |
| 18. | RADM Alvin B. Koeneman | June 1988 | August 1991 |
| 19. | RADM David E. White | August 1991 | August 1994 |
| 20. | RADM Donald K. Muchow | August 1994 | August 1997 |
| 21. | RADM A. Byron Holderby, Jr. | August 1997 | August 2000 |
| 22. | RADM Barry C. Black | August 2000 | August 15, 2003 |
| 23. | RADM Louis V. Iasiello | August 16, 2003 | June 22, 2006 |
| 24. | RADM Robert F. Burt | June 23, 2006 | August 26, 2010 |
| 25. | RADM Mark L. Tidd | August 27, 2010 | August 1, 2014 |
| 26. | RADM Margaret G. Kibben | August 2, 2014 | July 22, 2018 |
| 27. | RADM Brent W. Scott | July 23, 2018 | May 16, 2022 |
| 28. | RADM Gregory N. Todd | May 16, 2022 | Incumbent |

## Chief of Chaplains hallway

A hallway to honor former Chiefs of Navy Chaplain Corps was dedicated at the Navy Annex, in Arlington, Va., in 2004. Five former Chiefs of Chaplains were present at the dedication ceremony, including Barry C. Black, Alvin B. Koeneman, Neil M. Stevenson, Ross H. Trower, and David F. White.