Photo By John Narewski | Cmdr. Douglas Sattler, Jr. delivers his remarks during the USS San Juan (SSN 751)...... read more read more
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GROTON, Connecticut – Cmdr. Douglas Sattler, Jr., turned command of the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS San Juan (SSN 751) over to Cmdr. Alan Mardegian in a traditional change of command ceremony held Friday, May 13, pierside at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
USS San Juan – which returned from a full seven-month deployment in August of 2021, then returned to sea for another shorter deployment during the first part of 2022 – operates under Commander, Submarine Squadron 12.
Rear Adm. Robert Gaucher, commander of Submarine Group 9, based in Bangor, Washington, served as the presiding officer and keynote speaker at the ceremony. Sattler served as the navigator on USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) during Gaucher’s tour as the commanding officer there.
In his remarks, Gaucher highlighted the work done by Sattler and his crew to prepare for multiple deployments – calling San Juan “an absolute workhorse among fast attack submarines” – as well as the importance of those missions.
“They demonstrated our Navy’s worldwide presence, the resolve of the United States to our partners and to the region,” he said.
Among the numerous awards earned by San Juan during Sattler’s tenure was Submarine Squadron 12’s prestigious Battle E for 2021. The Battle E, or Battle Effectiveness Award, recognizes outstanding performance and is given to the one sub in the squadron exhibiting most overall mission readiness.
“We have asked a lot of San Juan over the past few years and under Cmdr. Sattler’s leadership, San Juan has always delivered. This boat and this crew have stepped up and excelled in the face of any challenge, and that reflects directly on the high quality of their commanding officer,” said Capt. Matthew Boland, Commodore of Submarine Squadron 12. “Cmdr. Sattler is leaving San Juan in a great place and I have no doubt that Cmdr. Mardegian will not only continue that success, but build on it and help lead this crew to new heights moving forward.”
After turning over command of San Juan, Sattler is transitioning to U.S. Pacific Fleet, which is headquartered in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he will serve as director of future operations.
“It has been the honor of my career to serve as the commanding officer of San Juan. I have been truly inspired by this crew, which answered our nation’s call to deploy twice in a year’s time, and to this day remains ready to return to sea,” said Sattler, a native of Perrysburg, Ohio. “When you look for the qualities you most want in the service members representing your country and defending your allies and interests around the world – professionalism, dedication, commitment to excellence – you need to look no farther than the crew of USS San Juan. It has been humbling to serve alongside these Sailors, and although I’ll dearly miss this crew and this boat, I can’t wait to see what they accomplish under the incredible leadership of Cmdr. Mardegian.
“I also need to extend my deepest gratitude to the families of San Juan: The spouses, children, parents, brothers and sisters who sacrificed so much in service to our country over the last few years, all in support of this submarine’s noble mission,” he continued. “It will never be enough to say ‘thank you,’ and we can never say ‘thank you’ enough.”
Mardegian is taking command after serving as the deputy commander at Commander, Submarine Squadron 7 in Pearl Harbor.
“Cmdr. Sattler and his crew have worked tirelessly to become the best submariners this fleet has to offer. Their track record of excellence is unparalleled. Seeing what this team has accomplished is both awestriking and motivating,” said Mardegian. “I’m incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity to follow in Cmdr. Sattler’s footsteps and I pledge to work every day to help this crew build on its already considerable success. San Juan will rise to any challenge it faces and respond to any call to duty.”
USS San Juan was commissioned in 1988 as the second U.S. Navy ship named for the capital of Puerto Rico. Over the submarine’s history, it was the first of the improved 688i-class of Los Angeles submarines to surface through Arctic ice in 1993, and in 2009 took part in the U.S. Navy’s first-ever at-sea engagement with the South African Navy submarine force.
Fast-attack submarines are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. They are designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. Fast-attack submarines project power ashore with special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2022 12:07 |
| Story ID: | 420676 |
| Location: | GROTON, CT, US |
| Hometown: | PERRYSBURG, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 1,227 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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