assigned to the Pacific Fleet in September 1919, when he was selected to become Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), succeeding Admiral William S. Benson. Reportedly, his term as CNO was marked by unceasing pressure for economy, Congressional unhappiness over base closings, diplomatic efforts to achieve naval limitations, internal Navy Department conflicts over organization and the best ways to manage new technologies, plus the naval fallout of the Teapot Dome scandal. While dealing with these problems, Admiral Coontz established a unified United States Fleet and strengthened the CNO's position within the Navy Department. Relieved as CNO in August 1923, by Admiral Edward W. Eberle, Coontz was able to return to sea as Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet. In June 1925, as Admiral, Coontz led and command the US Fleet, consisting of 57 vessels of United States Navy carrying about 25,000 officers and crew, and departed the port of San Francisco, California. Coontz led the US Fleet on a trans-Pacific visit to New Zealand and Australia, byway of Hawaii and Pago Page, American Samoa. This was the first massed deployment of American battleships since the "Great White Fleet" cruise, nearly two decades earlier, and a valuable demonstration of their strategic reach. The last US Fleet departed Australia on August 6, 1925. The US Fleet played a significant role in strengthening Australia-American relations during the interwar years in the lead up to the signing of the formal ANZAS Alliance in 1941. Coontz is also acknowledged for his key role in the promotion of US naval aviation. He lobbied for converting the and from s to s following the Washington Naval Treaty, ships that would prove vital for training in the inter-war years and as fighting ships during World War II. From October 1925, until his retirement in June 1928, Coontz served as Commandant of the Fifth Naval District, reverting to the rank of rear admiral. Memoir After retiring, Coontz wrote a memoir chronicling his early life growing up in Hannibal, Missouri, and his navy career, titled From the Mississippi to the Sea. A second book, True Anecdotes of an Admiral, was published in 1934. Coontz was briefly recalled to active duty in 1930, to investigate railroads in Alaska. Two years later in 1932, Coontz would represent Alaska at the Democratic National Convention. It was also in 1932, that he became Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Personal life On