Carlos Del Toro
Secretary of the Navy
Carlos Del Toro was born in 1961 in Havana, Cuba. He immigrated to the United States with his parents as a child and grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. He earned an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the United States Naval Academy. He would later earn a master’s in national security studies from the Naval War College and an M.P.S. in legislative affairs from George Washington University.
He served 22 years in the United States Navy, retiring with the rank of commander. He served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and was a special assistant to the director and deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. He was the commanding officer of the USS Bulkeley, a destroyer.
After retiring from the Navy, he founded a company that provided management and engineering services, primarily to government clients.
Del Toro was nominated by President Joe Biden to be Secretary of the Navy. He was confirmed by a voice vote of the Senate and assumed office in August 2021.
He is married to Betty, and they have four children.
In the News…
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said, at the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space conference, that creating the new rating of robotics warfare specialist is a milestone for the fleet.
“We continue to adopt the identities of our people in uniform to match the changing character of war,” Secretary Del Toro said. “This year, [Chief of Naval Operations] Franchetti introduced the robotics warfare specialist, or RW rating, into the fleet. RW’s will be the subject matter experts for computer vision, mission autonomy, navigation autonomy, data systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning.”
“The establishment of the robotic rating is a significant milestone in our journey towards achieving a truly hybrid fleet,” he added. “And the state of the world today highlights the importance of building a culture of warfighting excellence through integrated training environments.”
