USS Hartford (SSN 768) holds change of command ceremony

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten | 210927-N-GR655-0116 NEW LONDON, Conn. (May 20, 2022) – Cmdr. Kevin Behm, left, incoming commanding officer of the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768), Capt. John Stafford, commodore for Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) FOUR, Cmdr. Bill Dull, commanding officer of the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Alaska (SSBN 732) Blue Crew, and Cmdr. Stephen Wiegel, Hartford’s outgoing commanding officer, pose for a photo following a change-of-command ceremony at Fort Trumbull, New London, Conn., May 20. Hartford and crew operate under Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) FOUR and its primary mission is to provide fast-attack submarines that are ready, willing, and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten)  

NEW LONDON, CT, UNITED STATES

05.20.2022

Courtesy Story

Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32

GROTON, Connecticut – Cmdr. Stephen Wiegel turned command of the USS Hartford (SSN 768) over to Cmdr. Kevin Behm in a traditional change of command ceremony held Friday, May 20, at Fort Trumbull State Park in New London, Connecticut.

USS Hartford is a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine assigned to Submarine Squadron 4 at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton. Hartford is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance at the nearby General Dynamics Corp. Electric Boat shipyard.

“Cmdr. Wiegel leads with insight, dedication, and exceptional strength. Hartford's performance over the last three years is evidence of these characteristics. Similarly, this moment must be bittersweet for him as he hands over the ship and crew into which he imbued so much of himself,” said Capt. John Stafford, commander of Submarine Squadron 4. “Surely, when Hartford returns to operations some measure of Cmdr. Weigel will go to sea once again.

“Going forward, I have full faith and confidence that Cmdr. Behm is ready to pick up the mantle to complete the work started by his predecessor,” he continued. “My team at Squadron 4 is ready to help along the way. Congratulation to both men and their families.”

Cmdr. Bill Dull, commanding officer of the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Alaska (SSBN-732) Blue Crew, served as the keynote speaker at the event. Dull is a longtime friend of Wiegel, going back to the early 1990s, when they were high school classmates in Charleston, South Carolina. He also served alongside Behm during a previous tour aboard the Los Angeles-class USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723).


Under Wiegel, Hartford earned Retention Excellence Awards in 2020 and 2021, a sign of crew members’ high morale and successful professional development opportunities. Following his command tour on Hartford, Wiegel is transitioning to Commander, Undersea Surveillance in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the commanding officer of Hartford. This crew has been nothing short of inspirational to me. They were committed to excellence returning to sea, mission ready, just a few short months after a full deployment in my first year here, and they have been committed to excellence ever since, preparing Hartford to return to the fleet better than ever in the years ahead,” said Wiegel. “I thank this crew for motivating me every day. And I also thank my family and the families of Hartford, who love us, support us and sacrifice for this nation. I will always have a special place in my heart for this crew and this boat, and I can't wait to see the great things they'll accomplish under Cmdr. Behm.”

SSN 768 was commissioned in 1994 as the second U.S. Navy ship to be named for the capital of Connecticut, following a sloop-of-war commissioned in 1859. The sloop-of-war Hartford was the flagship of then-Rear Adm. David G. Farragut during the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay, when the Navy fleet commander called the order that was famously later paraphrased as “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Farragut’s order now lives on as the submarine USS Hartford’s motto.

During his remarks at the ceremony, Behm thanked Wiegel for a smooth turnover and noted that “a crew reflects the personality of their captain.”

“I have been impressed by (this crew’s) grit and resiliency,” he said. “I look forward to serving with you and picking up where Cmdr. Wiegel left off. You epitomize the adage: Mission first, Sailors always. … Hartford is not just a crew, we are family. Having the opportunity to serve as your captain is the honor of my lifetime.

“It’s a dangerous world out there and we need operational submarines now more than ever,” he continued. “I know that you are as eager as I am to complete this overhaul and get back out to sea where we belong, with a ready ship and a ready crew. Let’s get after it.”

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: 05.20.2022
• Date Posted: 05.20.2022 12:44
• Story ID: 421184
• Location: NEW LONDON, CT, US