Captain John Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired), retired from the Navy in 2013 after 30 years of service. He commanded the USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) and USS San Jacinto (CG-56), and received the U.S. Navy League’s Captain John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership in 2010.

Articles by John P. Cordle

Officers, archive photo

The Navy, In Black and White

By Captain John Cordle and Lieutenant Commander Reuben Keith Green, U.S. Navy (Retired)
February 2022
Two Navy retirees, one black and one white, discuss the future and reflect on the past in tandem.
Starting with the Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) Carrier Strike Groups, every deploying ship will have a chaplain on board. Whatever a sailor’s definition of spiritual health, there will be a command chaplain who will listen and help them through mental health challenges. Credit: U.S. Navy (Indra Beaufort)

Moving Out on Mental Health

By Captain John P. Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired)
November 2020
The Navy has implemented several changes to make mental health services less stigmatized and more available for service members.
Commanding Officer of the USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) standing on the bridge.

Captain, Get Some Sleep!

By Captain John Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired)
February 2019
Culturally, the Navy must embrace the idea that sleep is a necessity—especially for commanding officers.
Carney DDG-64 bridge

Design Systems That Work for People

By Captain John Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired)
September 2018
The surface fleet must ensure its ship systems are intuitive to use; its sailors are properly trained; and its ships have sufficient manning to reduce chronic fatigue.
Kitty Hawk

It Is All About the Sailors

By Captain John P. Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired)
March 2018
I commanded two warships in my Navy career: an Aegis destroyer and an Aegis cruiser. I still recall the rough numbers of enlisted personnel assigned to these two ships. The ...