Carlisle Trost

Admiral Carlisle Albert Herman Trost, USN (born April 24, 1930 in Valmeyer, Illinois) is a retired United States Navy officer who served as the Navy's twenty-third Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1 July 1986 to 29 June 1990. He oversaw the Navy during the end of the Cold War, and the preparations for the first Persian Gulf War (1991). He retired from active naval service on 1 July 1990, following completion of a four-year term as CNO.

Naval career
He graduated first in his U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1953 and was commissioned as an Ensign. He volunteered and was accepted to begin submarine training in 1954 and once again graduated first in his class from Submarine School in New London, CT. During his more than thirty-seven years of commissioned service, Admiral Trost served at sea in destroyers and diesel-powered and nuclear submarines, including tours as executive officer of two nuclear-powered submarines and as commanding officer of a Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine.

After selection to Flag Rank in 1973, he commanded Submarine Flotilla One/Submarine Group FIVE. Later operational assignments included deputy commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; commander, Seventh Fleet (1980–1981); Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (1985–1986), and deputy commander, U.S. Atlantic Command. Ashore.

He served as military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, executive assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, and on the Navy Staff as Director, Systems Analysis Division, Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel and Director, Navy Program Planning.

In May 1986, Trost was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to succeed Admiral James D. Watkins as Chief of Naval Operations. Trost served as CNO from July 1, 1986 to June 29, 1990. He was succeeded by Admiral Frank B. Kelso.

Awards and honors
Admiral Trost's decorations and awards include seven Distinguished Service Medals (two Defense DSMs, three Navy DSMs, one Army DSM, one Air Force DSM), the Legion of Merit (three awards), the Navy Achievement Medal, numerous campaign and service awards, and personal decorations from a number of foreign nations, including Japan's Order of the Rising Sun (2nd Class with Gold and Silver Star) and the Republic of Korea's Order of National Security Merit Gugseon Medal.


 * Defense Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
 * Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Navy Distinguished Service Medal with two Gold Stars
 * Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg Army Distinguished Service Medal
 * Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
 * Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit with two Gold Stars
 * Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Trost is an Olmsted Scholar. He is active in the Boy Scouts of America as an adult, an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

Organizational affiliations
He was recognized as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and has also served on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, as well as President of the Class of '53. A classmate and another past President of the Class of '53 is Texas businessman and former presidential candidate H. Ross Perot.

Post-Navy career and family life
Since his retirement from the Navy, Admiral Trost has served on the boards of directors of a number of U.S. corporations. He served as Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association in a term that ended in Spring 2009.

He has four children and six grandchildren.