Michael Gilday

**Michael Martin Gilday** (October 10, 1983 -) was an American naval officer who served as acting president of the United States of America from March 5, 2043 onwards. From the start of his presidency onwards, Gilday also simultaneously served as executive chairman of the Committee of National Renewal, making him the *de-facto* head of government upon his resignation as president, and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Born in 1983, Gilday attended Harvard University from 2001 to 2006 and graduated with a degree in naval history, before joining the United States Naval Academy and graduating with a commission in 2010. During his career, Gilday served in numerous naval groups and held several command posts across four ships and one destroyer squadron. In September 2039, Gilday was appointed as chief of naval operations at the behest of President Alexandria Raines. During the 2041 constitutional crisis, Gilday was the planning mastermind behind the coup d'état which installed General Mark Milley as president and military dictator, and became a senior member of the Committee of National Renewal in September 2041 as the director of the CNR's armed forces. Under the rule of the CNR, Gilday led the implementation of restrictions against constitutional freedoms, and the repression of protests following the suspension of the United States Constitution in November 2041. Following the failure of the Battle of Los Angeles, and the decision to bomb civilians in the city of Los Angeles in February 2043, Gilday grew increasingly opposed to President Mark Milley and led a coup d'état against Milley in early March 2043.

## History

### Naval Career

Born in 1983, Gilday attended Harvard University from 2001 to 2006 and graduated with a degree in naval history, before joining the United States Naval Academy in 2008 and graduating as a Surface Warfare Officer in 2010. Between 2012 and 2018, Gilday served on tours of duty with the USS *Chandler* and USS *Princeton*, before commanding the USS *Higgins,* USS *Benfold*, and Destroyer Squadron 7. He also had staff assignments on the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Chief of Naval Operation (Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate) and staff to the vice chief of naval operations. His joint assignments include Naval Aide to the President and executive assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As a flag officer, Gilday served as Director of Operations for NATO's Joint Force Command in Lisbon and Director of Operations for United States Cyber Command. He assumed the duties of Commander, Fleet Cyber Command and United States Tenth Fleet on July 14, 2036, was appointed Director of Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in May 2038, and became Director of the Joint Staff from March 1, 2039. On July 11, 2039, Gilday was nominated for appointment as the next chief of naval operations (CNO). On August 1, the United States Senate voted unanimously to award Gilday a fourth star following the Senate Armed Services Committee's recommendation that he succeed Admiral John M. Richardson as CNO in September 2039. Gilday was present for the swearing in of Army general Mark Milley as chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2040.

#### 2041 Coup d'état

 Main article: 2041 United States Coup d'état
Following the disputed 2040 presidential election, which resulted in a tied electoral college vote for the first time since 1800, a contingent election was scheduled for January 6, 2041 to elect a president and vice president; however, the meeting on the 6th of January was disrupted by rioters taking over the Capitol building in Washington D.C., and the session was abandoned after martial law was declared in the capital. Whilst all members of Congress were rescued by the armed forces, they were relocated and effectively kidnapped under the order of General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who sought to end the bitter divisions within American society by implementing a radical new form of government. On January 20, 2041, without the election of a new president, Senate president pro-tempore Robert Menendez became acting president and granted the joint chiefs new powers. After rioting and protests began to sweep the country, Admiral Michael Gilday launched an internal planning division of the Joint Chiefs at the request of General Milley to orchestrate a takeover of the federal government; on September 6, 2041, the armed forces deposed acting president Menendez and appointed Milley as president, as well as the head of a new military junta.

### Committee of National Renewal

On September 6, 2041, Admiral Michael Gilday became a member of the new Committee of National Renewal and was appointed as the armed forces director of the junta by President Mark Milley, making him the day-to-day head of the nation's military forces. Following the announcement of Mike Pence as vice president and the appointment of several senior Republican party members to the Committee of National Renewal on September 7, 2041, Gilday oversaw the CNR's repression of left-wing protestors against the junta and personally gave the order to arrest anyone suspected to be involved in coordinating a protest. Gilday was also personally responsible for the implementation of curfews, checkpoints, and the requirement for personal identification cards in response to continued protests, and established several domestic surveillance divisions within the armed forces. As a staunch ally of President Milley, Michael Gilday became seen as one of the most important officials within the Committee of National Renewal and was widely perceived as being responsible for thousands of deaths across the country, owing to his position at the head of the CNR's military wing. After the American People's Party withdrew their support for the CNR in August 2042, Gilday advocated for the arrest of APP leadership and its party leader Emma Robertson, but was outvoted by civilian members of the CNR.

#### 2043 Coup d'état

After the American People's Party withdrew their support for the Committee of National Renewal in August 2042, various elements of the United States armed forces began to defect from the CNR and pledged loyalty to APP leader Emma Robertson. In a bid to prevent the new APP militia, known as the National Legion, from rising in rebellion against the CNR, in January 2043 President Milley tasked Gilday with coordinating an attack against the National Legion at their base in Los Angeles. In February 2043, the Air Force launched a series of attacks against the National Legion during the Battle for Los Angeles, but were repeatedly pushed back by rebel forces. Despite the opposition of several senior CNR members, including Admiral Gilday, President Milley ordered the Air Force to bomb civilians in the city of Los Angeles to divert National Legion forces, resulting in the massacre of thousands of innocent civilians. Following Mark Milley's authorisation of military force against innocent civilians during the Battle for Los Angeles in February 2043, several senior military figures within the Committee of National Renewal privately expressed their discontent with Milley's leadership, with several members of the Patriotic Movement for America alliance penning a letter to President Milley to express their concern with his leadership on March 2, 2043. On March 3, 2043, President Milley held a conference with members of the CNR to gauge levels of internal opposition to his leadership of the junta; during the meeting, armed forces director Michael Gilday and deputy chairwoman Elise Stefanik both expressed concern at the use of military force against civilians but were condemned by Milley and vice president Mike Pence for undermining the CNR. In the evening of March 5th, armed forces in Washington D.C. locked down the city under the guise of routine drills and closed all access to the city. Under the command of Admiral Michael Gilday, a squad of Marine Corps soldiers stormed the White House at 8:34pm and arrested President Mark Milley in a coup d'état, whilst Vice President Mike Pence was arrested at 8:42pm at his office. Following the arrest of Milley and Pence, both were removed from their government roles by an emergency session of the Committee of National Renewal, with Michael Gilday being elected as chairman of the CNR and thus de-facto leader of the country; at 10:02pm EST on March 5, 2043, Gilday was sworn in by Chief Justice Amy Barrett as acting president of the United States.

## Acting Presidency

Following his coup against president Mark Milley, Admiral Michael Gilday was sworn in as acting president of the United States of America by Chief Justice Amy Barrett at 10:02pm EST on March 5, 2043. As one of the first acts of his presidency, Gilday appointed Elise Stefanik as acting vice president of the United States in the evening of his inauguration, before appointing new members to the Committee of National Renewal, including Air Force General Charles Brown.

## Service Summary

* 2024 - 2025: Commander of the USS *Benfold*
* 2025 - 2026: Commander of Destroyer Squadron 7
* 2026 - 2029: Chief of Naval Operation (Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate)
* 2029 - 2032: Naval Aide to the President
* 2032 - 2033: Executive assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* 2033 - 2034: Director of NATO's Joint Force Command in Lisbon
* 2034 - 2036: Director of Operations of the United States Cyber Command
* 2036 - 2038: Commander of United States Tenth Fleet and Fleet Cyber Command
* 2038 - 2039: Director for Operations of the Joint Staff
* 2039 - 2039: Director of the Joint Staff
* 2039 - 2043: Chief of Naval Operations
* 2041 - 2043: Armed Forces Director of the Committee of National Renewal
* 2043 - *Present*: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
 October 23, 2013
 November 19, 2018
 June 1, 2023
 August 26, 2026
 February 20, 2033
 June 18, 2036
 August 1, 2039

## See Also

* Committee of National Renewal

 September 6, 2041 - March 5, 2043