Christopher W. Grady

Christopher Watson Grady (born 28 November 1962) is a retired American admiral who served as the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2021 to 2025. Grady also served as the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2025. Grady previously served as the commander of United States Fleet Forces Command and United States Naval Forces Northern Command from May 2018 to December 2021, with additional duties as commander of United States Naval Forces Strategic Command and Joint Force Maritime Component Commander from February 2019. Before that he was the commander of the United States Sixth Fleet, commander of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, deputy commander of United States Naval Forces Europe - Naval Forces Africa and Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Europe from October 2016 to March 2018. A 1984 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Grady was commissioned in the United States Navy via the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. He became the Navy's "Old Salt", its longest-serving surface warfare officer on active duty, having received the title and accompanying trophy from Admiral Philip S. Davidson on 20 April 2021 and would hold this distinction until his retirement from the Navy on 30 September 2025.