Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Tiarra Brown | 250602-N-QG393-1088 NAVAL BASE POINT LOMA (June 2, 2025) Cmdr. Don Coomes addresses...... read more read more
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Cmdr. Don Coomes relieved Cmdr. Chris Rose as the commanding officer of Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Alexandria (SSN 757) in a ceremony held aboard Alexandria at Naval Base Point Loma, June 2.
Rear Adm. Martin Muckian, Commander, Submarine Group TWO, and deputy commander, U.S. Second Fleet, was the guest speaker at the ceremony. Muckian presented Cmdr. Rose with Legion of Merit and highlighted some of Rose’s accomplishments while in command of Alexandria.
“Over the past 36 months, Chris has led his crew through one of the most challenging and operationally intense command tours in recent memory,” said Muckian. “Under his leadership, Alexandria absolutely knocked it out of the park.”
Rose relinquishes command less than three weeks after Alexandria’s crew completed a successful seven-month deployment to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. While deployed, Alexandria provided persistent presence, underscoring the U.S. Navy’s readiness and ability to respond to any contingency across the globe at any time.
“This exceptional crew…participated in high-end multinational exercises, strengthened interoperability with our allies and partners, and conducted critical undersea operations that were briefed to the highest levels of military and civilian leadership,” Rose said. “Their efforts directly achieved national objectives in the Indo-Pacific, reinforcing deterrence, ensuring maritime security, and demonstrating our commitment to a free and open region.”
Rose led his crew through more than just significant operations, though. As Muckian outlined, Alexandria’s crew demonstrated a commitment to continued professional development, pushing each other to learn and grow individually and as a team.
“Chris set out to use this deployment to train and qualify his crew to the highest standards, and once again, Alexandria delivered,” Muckian said. “Every Sailor who completed the full deployment earned their silver dolphins [and] five junior officers earned gold dolphins.”
This excellence in training and operations was a hallmark of Rose’s outstanding leadership. It underscored his focus on meeting the mission while challenging and developing his team.
“Every day I marvel at Alexandria’s technology and capabilities - state-of-the-art engineering, navigation, communications, fire control, and sonar systems that help ensure our national security,” Rose said. “As remarkable as those systems are, they don’t define the ship. Its strength comes from the people who operate and support it.”
Cmdr. Don Coomes comes to Alexandria after completing a joint tour at the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, followed by a Deputy Commodore tour at Submarine Squadron TWO ONE in Manama, Bahrain. Coomes previously served on USS Alabama (SSBN 731) (Gold), USS Michigan (SSGN 727) (Blue), and fellow Los Angles-class submarines USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) and USS Cheyenne (SSN 773).
In his address to his new crew, Coomes relayed his excitement to take the reins as CO of Alexandria, commending the crew on their accomplishments while challenging them to continue setting the standard for the U.S. Submarine Force.
I couldn’t be more proud to join the ranks of Alexandria and lead this amazing crew,” Coomes said. “Together, we will face and overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and continue to accomplish our mission and assigned tasks with excellence.”
Commander, Submarine Squadron 11, is home to four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines, including Alexandria, which are capable of supporting various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
For more information, contact SPSC_CSS11_PAO@navy.mil, call +1 (619) 553-1278, or visit our command website at https://www.csp.navy.mil/css11/.
| Date Taken: | 06.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2025 00:31 |
| Story ID: | 500811 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | RICHLAND, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | SOUTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
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Change of Command Ceremony
