Photo By Anthony Casullo | 170905-N-UC848-0001 KINGS BAY, Ga (Sept 05, 2017) Capt. Gunter I. Braun, left,...... read more read more
KINGS BAY, Ga. - Trident Refit Facility Kings Bay (TRF) held a change of command and retirement ceremony onboard Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Sept. 5.
During the change of command, Capt. Paul L. Dinius relieved Capt. Gunter I. Braun as TRF’s commanding officer. The time-honored ceremony marked an end to Braun’s leadership at TRF, while a retirement ceremony marked an end to his Naval career.
Rear Adm. Randy Crites, Commander, Submarine Group Ten and guest speaker for the change of command, said Braun’s aggressive planning and solution-based leadership were crucial to the top quality and timely maintenance of the submarine fleet at Kings Bay.
“Over the last two years, if you look at the performance record of Trident Refit Facility, you will see about an 85 percent accomplishment rate in achieving their submarine maintenance periods on time or early,” Crites said. “There’s no other shipyard in the world that can match that, and to do so with the complexity of the Ohio-class submarines is simply amazing.”
Braun credited the readiness and success of TRF to the people who work there.
"This facility would be useless without the great men and women who show up every day to operate TRF and in doing so, ensure our nation’s strategic assets are kept at maximum readiness," Braun said of the dedicated workforce.
Braun was presented the Legion of Merit for his exceptionally meritorious service as commanding officer from May 2015 to September 2017. During this period, he expertly commanded TRF and led the workforce through 32 pierside refit periods, including eight dry-dock refit periods, totaling more than 4,400,000 man-hours in submarine maintenance and support.
"I turn over a workforce today of which I am, and you should be, very proud," Braun stated. "Not only do we continue to excel in submarine maintenance and have done so continuously for the past 30 years, but we continue to set the bar for other shipyards and facilities like TRF across the fleet.”
Braun retired immediately following the change of command and was honored for his 38 years of Naval service, which began after he enlisted in September 1979.
Retirement guest speaker, Navy Captain Jim Ransom (Ret.) acknowledged Braun’s and the Braun family’s distinguished Naval service.
“Captain Braun, you fulfilled your obligations, successfully discharged your duties, and you’ve maintained the integrity and trust required of a great Naval officer. The country is better off for your service and I am a better man today for serving with you,” Ransom said. “Today is not just about Captain Braun and his service to our country, today a Navy family is retiring. To Captain Braun’s family, you too have sacrificed. It takes an exceptional family to support a husband, father, grandfather and son throughout his military career, and I hope you are as proud of him as he is of you.”
Dinius was commissioned in 1992 and has served at sea on five U.S. Navy combatants and four flag staffs, to include Command of USS HELENA (SSN 725). He has 25 years of active duty Naval service and has deployed to the Western Pacific, North Atlantic and the Caribbean.
Dinius addressed the men and women of TRF for the first time as the thirteenth commanding officer and described the tremendous value of the command.
"I am incredibly honored by the opportunity to take over as your commanding officer," Dinius said. "The CNO presented as his top priority in his Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority to ‘Maintain and modernize the undersea leg of the strategic deterrent triad.’ Trident Refit Facility Kings Bay, and the talented and highly dedicated men and women who work here, is at the very heart of maintaining our current fleet and preparing for our next generation of Columbia-class submarines and meeting the CNO’s highest priority for the Navy. I look forward to being part of this incredible team and our continued evolution as the premier submarine repair facility in the Navy."
| Date Taken: | 09.05.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.10.2017 13:06 |
| Story ID: | 247636 |
| Location: | KINGS BAY, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 347 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Trident Refit Facility Holds Change of Command, by Anthony Casullo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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