EXCLUSIVE: SECNAV consolidating Navy policy, foreign affairs staff into new role

WASHINGTON — Navy Secretary John Phelan is consolidating planning authorities for the service’s future fleet, budget development and international affairs objectives into a new secretariat-level position known as the chief of naval policy (CPOL), according to a memorandum signed by Phelan, and obtained by Breaking Defense.

Under the new guidance, a number of existing offices and roles will be “integrated” into the new office, which reports to Phelan. In addition, certain State Department advisors for the chief of naval operations and the Marine Corps commandant will be disestablished.

“The forward presence that has been a hallmark of Navy and Marine Corps operations since their founding has also led to, and requires, close cooperative relationships with allies and partners to enable key missions in support of core American interests,” the memo, dated Sept. 19, states. “Accordingly, ensuring the coordinated management of DON international affairs and security cooperation activities is essential to carrying out my statutory responsibilities.”

The new CPOL position, which will oversee a similarly named office, will replace what was formerly known as the deputy undersecretary of the Navy for policy. It was not immediately clear who currently holds that position. A Navy website that would usually publish information about the office was marked “under construction” at the time of publication.

A spokeswoman for Phelan told Breaking Defense the memo aligns the Department of the Navy’s functions to how they are handled in the other military services.

“This alignment not only fosters closer coordination between naval operations, shipbuilding priorities and broader defense and foreign policy objectives but also transforms guidance into actionable plans that adapt to the ever-changing security landscape. By optimizing resource allocation, we position ourselves for successful fleet modernization and build robust international partnerships that will enhance our global maritime presence,” said Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Williams.

Williams’ statement did not directly address a question about who would serve as the CPOL.

The memorandum directs the new senior civilian to lead a “realignment” of the Navy’s policy and foreign affairs apparatuses “with a view toward eliminating redundancies … while ensuring leaders across the DON speak with one voice.”

“The CPOL shall serve as the principal civilian advisor on defense strategy and policy, naval strategy, international affairs, security cooperation, naval force posture (including related international agreements and arrangements), policy implications of emerging naval capabilities and concepts, military readiness and naval force design,” according to the memo.

The CPOL will report directly to Phelan and have jurisdiction over a vast number of functions, including formulating service-wide strategic plans and foreign policy objectives and managing the budget development and execution in coordination with the comptroller. The CPOL will also serve as the “lead for coordination” of the Navy and Marine Corps’ input to any policy questions from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

“The civilian executive assistants, staff assistants, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Headquarters Marine Corps must receive concurrence from the CPOL before submitting formal DON responses to OUSW (P) on any matter,” according to the memo.

The CPOL will also have jurisdiction over industrial base issues. In coordination with the service acquisition executive, the senior civilian will provide oversight of security cooperation efforts, technology transfer and arms control agreement and implementation.

As part of establishing the new office, Phelan is also directing that several offices be “integrated” under the “authority, supervision and direction” of the CPOL, including the Navy International Programs Office; Navy International Affairs and Security Cooperation; Navy Attaché Affairs; USMC International Affairs Branch; and the USMC Foreign Liaison.

“In addition, the Department of State Policy Advisors to the CNO and CMC are hereby disestablished,” the memo said. “The realigned [Office of Naval Policy] described above shall provide direct support to SECNAV, CNO and CMC on all matters relating to international affairs, security cooperation, engagement with partners and allies and attaché affairs.”

The memo largely aligns with the broader goals of consolidation of the Pentagon’s sprawling staffs pushed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth since the start of the second Trump administration. Breaking Defense reported earlier this month Phelan had taken a number of actions to reduce the number of offices and staff overseeing the Navy’s autonomous and robotic programs.

Bryan Clark, a retired Navy submariner and fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the memo’s directives address “specific areas where the [Department of the Navy] had a disjointed management structure.”

The most important change is how the services interact with the State Department and conduct diplomatic engagements, Clark said. Although service chiefs will frequently discuss foreign military sales with their counterparts, the staff who execute the process work for a number of other offices.

“This change rationalizes the chains of command for these offices and should help make the CNO and CMC’s jobs easier. They will still get asked about FMS, etc. but the CPOL and that chain of command will be responsible for working the processes,” he said.

Clark also said that historically the SECNAV’s office would weigh in on select discussions between the policy shops within the Navy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, resulting in “incoherent or delayed DON responses to tasking. The SECNAV’s staff should lead policy decisions and interactions with [OSD]. This memo fixes that problem,” he said.

Updated 10/1/2025 at 7:35 am ET with comments from a spokeswoman for Navy Secretary John Phelan.