Hung Cao Nominated as Navy Secretary

Exam-focused facts from the 4 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Hung Cao is the acting Navy secretary.
He is a retired naval officer with the rank of captain.
He previously served as commander of the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City Beach, Florida.
He came to the United States as a refugee from South Vietnam in 1975.
He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House in 2022 and for the U.S. Senate in 2024 in Virginia.
The nomination requires Senate confirmation.
The previous Navy secretary, John Phelan, was fired in April.