The U.S. Navy has replaced the admiral in charge of the Office of Naval Research with a civilian who has reportedly worked as a Department of Government Efficiency staffer, according to the service.

Rear Adm. Kurt. Rothenhaus, who has served as chief of naval research since June 2023, has been reassigned and replaced by Rachel Riley, who most recently acted as a senior adviser for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a Navy public affairs official confirmed in an emailed statement Thursday.

Riley worked at HHS as part of DOGE, the The New York Times previously reported, a job her LinkedIn profile shows her holding since January 2025.

“We thank RADM Rothenhaus for his service as he is enroute to his next assignment,” the Navy public affairs official said. “We do not have

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