The Navy has taken a rare step and relieved a one-star admiral who oversaw the service’s unmanned and small combatant programs, including one of its newest class of warships, according to a statement released Monday.
Rear Adm. Kevin Smith was relieved from leadership of the program office by Dr. Brett Seidle, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.
As the program executive for unmanned and small craft, Smith oversaw the Navy’s design, development, construction, maintenance and modernization of unmanned maritime systems, as well as systems for mine warfare, special warfare and expeditionary warfare. The office is also overseeing the planning and construction of the Navy’s Constellation-class, next-generation guided missile frigates.
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Smith’s relief, which was officially over a “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” appears to be the Navy’s fifth firing of a commanding officer this year.
Loss of confidence is a boilerplate reason provided by the military services that can encompass anything from consistent poor performance by a commander on key evaluations to personal actions like drunken driving.
A defense official told Military.com on condition of anonymity that the reason for the firing was over a substantiated claim of personal misconduct that was investigated by the Navy’s inspector general. The official added that the misconduct in question did not involve another sailor.
Based on public announcements, it appears that the Navy fired 14 commanding officers in 2024. In 2023, the official relief total was 15. There are currently around 1,600 commanding officers in the active-duty Navy across all communities.
According to Smith’s service record that was provided to Military.com by the Navy, he began his Navy career in 1994 after graduating from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Boston University. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering, according to his official biography.
Designated as an engineering duty officer, Smith went on to serve aboard the destroyer USS Nicholson before shifting to postings at various shipbuilding offices.
Smith was stationed at the office of the supervisor of shipbuilding in Bath, Maine, a major Navy shipyard, where for several years, according to his biography, he was responsible for installing and testing the combat systems for five newly built guided missile destroyers.
Smith also worked on the Navy’s short-lived Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer program, according to the site.
“During his tenure as the major program manager for the Constellation-class frigate, the program office was awarded the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award for 2021 as the top program office in the Department of Defense,” his biography boasted.
Smith assumed the role as head of Unmanned and Small Combatants in June 2023.
Smith’s personal decorations include three awards of the Legion of Merit, six Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, among other unit and service awards.
According to the Navy’s statement, Melissa Kirkendall, the office’s executive director, will temporarily run the office until a permanent replacement is designated. Smith has been temporarily reassigned to the staff at Naval Sea Systems Command.
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