Photo By Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten | 250613-N-GR655-1128 GROTON, Connecticut (June 13, 2025) – Cmdr. Kyle McVay, left,...... read more read more
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GROTON, Connecticut – Cmdr. Kyle McVay turned command of the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Indiana (SSN 789) over to Cmdr. Kyle Johnson in a traditional change-of-command ceremony held Friday, June 13, pierside at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
Capt. Philip Castellano, commander of Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 12, presided over the ceremony and praised McVay’s tour stating, “under your leadership, USS Indiana has been the kind of submarine that keeps the enemy up at night.”
“You’ve built a cohesive, high-performing team,” Castellano said of McVay. “Know that you leave behind a legacy of excellence and that the bonds you have forged with this Indiana family will endure.”
Castellano also addressed the crew during his remarks. “To the crew of USS Indiana, you are the heart of this submarine’s lethality. You are the weapon. The submarine is just steel and silence without you.”
McVay, a Springfield, Virginia native and 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy praised his crew, calling them “true professionals and warfighters.”
“Commanding a fast-attack submarine is the highlight of any submarine officer’s career,” McVay said. “But it’s the relationships and shared experiences with this crew that has made it highlight of my life.”
McVay took command of Indiana in June 2023 and will continue his service as Military Assistant to the Undersecretary for Nuclear Security & National Nuclear Security Agency at the Department of Energy in Washington D.C. His previous submarine tours include the USS Georgia (SSGN 729), USS West Virginia (SSBN 736), USS Boise (SSN 764), USS Michigan (SSGN 727), USS Charlotte (SSN 766), and USS Mississippi (SSN 782).
"Kyle, you’ve inherited a fine and honorable group of experts in their jobs,” McVay added. “I am excited to watch from afar as you continue the Battle Bass pride that we all endear.”
Johnson, a Hitterdal, Minnesota native and 2007 graduate of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, spoke briefly during the ceremony praising his predecessor stating, “your leadership, steady hand, and commitment to this team have laid the foundation for Indiana’s continued success.”
“It’s an incredible honor to stand before you as the fifth commanding officer of USS Indiana,” Johnson said. “Over the past eighteen months, this crew has taken this warship to the North Pole and back, completed a six-month deployment, and will conduct a homeport shift before we know it.”
Johnson comes to Groton from Submarine Forces Pacific Readiness Evaluation Team in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and his previous submarine tours include the USS Maine (SSBN 741), USS Columbus (SSN 762), and USS Seawolf (SSN 21).
USS Indiana was the sixteenth Virginia-class submarine built when it was commissioned in September 2018. SSN 789 is the fourth U.S. Navy ship named for the state of Indiana; most recently following the battleship (BB-58), commissioned in 1942 and saw action during World War II. Previous ships to bear the name USS Indiana included a 1920s battleship (BB-50) that never completed construction, and the first U.S. Navy battleship (BB-1) commissioned in 1895. The submarine Indiana has a crew of more than 130 personnel, is more than 377 feet long and can displace nearly 7,900 tons.
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 response to regional crises.
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2025 11:49 |
| Story ID: | 500561 |
| Location: | GROTON, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Hometown: | HITTERDAL, MINNESOTA, US |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 796 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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