The top enlisted leader of U.S. Fleet Forces Command will become the Navy’s next top enlisted sailor, the service announced Friday.
Fleet Master Chief John Perryman, who has been the senior enlisted adviser for Fleet Forces Command since 2021, has been chosen to succeed James Honea as master chief petty officer of the Navy when Honea retires in September, the Navy said in a news release.
“With decades of operational experience across the fleet, Perryman will play a vital role in advising Navy leadership, shaping enlisted policy, and maintaining warfighting readiness in an era of strategic competition,” the news release said.
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Perryman’s appointment will reunite him with Adm. Daryl Caudle, the former head of Fleet Forces Command who will soon be sworn in as chief of naval operations following his Senate confirmation last month.
Perryman is a native of San Antonio, Texas, who enlisted in the Navy in 1994. He began his career as an electronics technician submariner, serving aboard the fast-attack submarines USS Bremerton and USS Cheyenne and the research submarine USS Dolphin, according to his service biography.
In 2010, he became the command master chief of the USS Hawaii, another fast-attack submarine, according to his biography.
Perryman’s other top enlisted adviser positions include Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, Submarine Group Seven and Submarine Force Atlantic. Prior to his role at Fleet Forces Command, Perryman served as the senior enlisted adviser at U.S. Strategic Command.
As chief master petty officer of the Navy, or MCPON, Perryman will be responsible for representing and advocating for the interests of enlisted sailors.
In succeeding Honea, Perryman will follow a MCPON who focused his tenure on advocating for a better quality of life for junior sailors and their families.
Honea also pushed to become more reachable to the fleet by offering a direct email address to his office at the Pentagon and by hosting an “Ask Me Anything” session on the social media platform Reddit.
Honea announced his retirement last month, telling Military.com then that “it’s the right time to go” after a 38-year career.
He is retiring with a year left in his term for MCPON. With a new chief of naval operations set to take over soon, it’s not unusual for new leaders to bring in their own advisers, and service officials who spoke to Military.com last month did not dispute that the leadership change presented an opportunity for Honea to close the book on a long and storied Navy career.
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