Acting SECNAV Hung Cao taps former Navy SEAL-turned-defense exec to lead I&S
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao appointed John Cremins — a former Navy SEAL and defense executive — to serve as the sea service’s top advisor on all policies, oversight and activities associated with intelligence, counterintelligence, security, irregular warfare and special operations.
Cremins was officially named as the new deputy under secretary of the Navy for intelligence and security (DUSN I&S) in a press release on Wednesday.
He “will play an instrumental role in identifying and securing vulnerabilities while leading efforts to modernize intelligence and counterintelligence policies to meet the challenges of today,” the Navy’s announcement states, noting that Cremins will also “apply his unique blend of special operations experience and private-sector technological leadership to ensure the Department’s intelligence and security frameworks remain proactive and resilient against future threats.”
Cremins’ appointment comes about three months after Cao initiated what sources said were “disruptive” changes in the Navy’s I&S apparatus, during his first week in charge.
Cao canceled a plan launched by former Navy Secretary John Phelan, before his abrupt ouster, to restructure the Navy’s intelligence organizations, elevate certain I&S functions to his direct purview and establish the role of “Chief of Naval Intelligence” within the secretariat.
Sources familiar with the Navy staff organization in the Pentagon told DefenseScoop this week that details about the service’s departmental and operational intelligence components are currently in flux as various reorganization efforts remain ongoing.
According to the Navy’s press release, Cremins is a Naval Academy graduate and former Navy SEAL officer, who holds a master of business administration degree from Georgetown University. He served as the chief executive of a tactical communications technology firm supporting the Defense Department, federal law enforcement, and the Intelligence Community, prior to assuming the role of DUSN I&S.
“In an era of rapidly evolving global threats, the protection of our critical assets and the modernization of our intelligence capabilities are paramount,” Cremins said in a statement.
In response to questions from DefenseScoop, Navy spokesperson Lt. Jake Ryan on Thursday said that Cremins’ early days as DUSN I&S will entail “supporting the Department of the Navy by aligning with the established priorities of the Honorable Cao.”
Those priorities, according to Ryan, include: taking care of sailors, Marines, Navy civilian personnel, and their families; strengthening Naval dominance through strategic shipbuilding and the delivery of a modernized fleet; and ensuring homeland defense.
The Navy spokesperson did not disclose whether Cao and Cremins share any personal or professional history working together, or how they originally met. According to their Linkedin profiles, the two senior officials’ time at the Naval Academy overlapped in the 1990s. Cao also served as an officer in the Navy’s special operations community during his military career.
In a statement about Cremins’ appointment, Cao said that as “the battlefield transforms through rapid deployment of new technologies that enable continuous warfighting innovation, he will play an instrumental role in identifying and securing vulnerabilities while leading efforts to modernize intelligence and counterintelligence policies to meet the challenges of today-and tomorrow.”
