The Department of the Navy’s chief information officer left her post after nearly two years. Jane Overslaugh Rathbun, who served as the Department of the Navy’s top expert for cybersecurity, electromagnetic threats and privacy, suddenly announced her retirement last week. She is the latest senior Navy official to leave or be fired this month.
Rathbun shared the news in a LinkedIn post on Aug. 22, saying that it was hard to sum up more than three decades working in national security.
“It is with gratitude, pride, and humility that I close out this chapter of my career as a civil servant,” she wrote.
In her post, Rathbun did not give a reason for why she was retiring or if she was leaving the post immediately. However, a Navy official confirmed to Task & Purpose that she has since left her position.
“Ms. Jane Rathburn no longer serves as the Department of Navy Chief Information Officer,” the Navy official said. The Navy did not provide additional information. It’s unclear who will replace her in the interim.
Navy Times first reported on Rathbun’s retirement. As the Department of the Navy’s chief information officer, she oversaw cybersecurity for the Navy and Marine Corps. Rathbun also served as the special assistant for information management in the Navy, making her the top advisor to the Navy secretary for information technology matters.
Rathbun is the third Navy official in a senior post to leave or be removed in a week. Also on Aug. 22, the Navy confirmed that Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, head of the Navy Reserve, and Rear Adm. Milton “Jamie ” Sands III, head of Naval Special Warfare Command, were fired from their roles. No reasons were given for their ouster.
Rathbun is also the latest cybersecurity or intelligence official to leave or be removed. Last week, the Pentagon fired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse from his position as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the same day Lacore and Sands were removed. In April, the Pentagon fired Gen. Timothy Haugh, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.
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Rathbun officially took over as chief information officer in November 2023, after serving as the acting chief since May, when her predecessor left for a job at Google Public Sector. Prior to taking over, she served as deputy secretary of the Navy for information and chief technology officer.
When he was sworn in as the new chief of naval operations earlier this week, Adm. Daryl Caudle did not comment on the multiple high-level vacancies in the Navy. Instead, his remarks focused mainly on the Navy’s preparedness for combat.
