---
title: "Navy fires commander of Colorado-based Information Operations Command"
description: "Cmdr. Christopher Johnson, who assumed command at NIOC Colorado in May 2023,has been temporarily reassigned to U.S. Fleet Cyber Command."
date: "2025-04-03"
modified: "2025-04-03"
authors:
  - name: "Jeff Schogol"
    job_title: "Senior Pentagon Reporter"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-information-operations-fired/"
categories:
  - "Military Branches"
  - "Navy"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "adsfety"
---

# Navy fires commander of Colorado-based Information Operations Command

![Navy Cmdr. Christopher Johnson](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Navy-firing.jpg>)
*Navy Cmdr. Christopher Johnson was relieved as commanding officer of Navy Information Operations Command Colorado on April 3, 2025. Navy photo.*

Navy Cmdr. Christopher Johnson was relieved on Thursday as commanding officer of Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Colorado, [the service has announced.](<https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/4145361/navy-relieves-naval-information-operations-command-colorado-commanding-officer/>)

Officially, Johnson was fired “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” a Navy news release says. No specific information about why he was relieved has been publicly released.

“The Navy maintains the highest standards for commanding officers and holds them accountable when those standards are not met,” the news release says.

All of the military branches use the euphemism “loss of confidence” to avoid providing the exact reasons why commanding officers and senior enlisted leaders. The vague phrase covers all sorts of reasons, including problems at work and personal issues.

Johnson, who assumed command at NIOC Colorado in May 2023, has been temporarily reassigned to U.S. Fleet Cyber Command. He was commissioned through Officer Candidate School and later completed two deployments in support of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, [according to his Navy biography.](<https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil/Leadership/All-Leadership/Article/3452790/cmdr-christopher-d-johnson-commanding-officer-navy-information-operations-comma/>)

His military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various campaign, unit and service awards.

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## Author
Jeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He reports on both the Defense Department as a whole as well as individual services, covering a variety of topics that include personnel, policy, military justice, deployments, and technology.

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