FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NCB 22 Holds Change of Command Ceremony at Port Hueneme By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Stevenson, Naval Construction Battalion 22
PORT HUENEME, Calif. (July 12, 2025) – Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) 22 held a Change of Command ceremony July 12 at the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum onboard Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California.
Cmdr. Jeffrey A. DePiazza, Civil Engineer Corps, U.S. Navy, relieved Cmdr. Donald J. Petersen, Civil Engineer Corps, U.S. Navy, as commanding officer of NCB 22 during a time-honored naval tradition that symbolizes the formal transfer of authority and responsibility. The ceremony featured remarks from Capt. Douglas B. Whimpey, Commander, Naval Construction Regiment One, who served as the presiding officer. Lt. Cmdr. Jason A. Clements, executive officer of NCB 22, served as master of ceremonies. Capt. Angel L. Santiago, Commander, Naval Construction Group One, was also in attendance.
“We gather here today, not just in ceremony, but in recognition of leadership, legacy, and the enduring spirit of NCB 22,” said Whimpey. “This moment marks a transition, but not a pause; the mission continues, the work remains, the standards are set high for the command.”
Cmdr. Petersen, a licensed architect and California native, assumed command of NCB 22 in March 2022. During his tenure, the battalion executed numerous construction projects and joint training missions across the continental United States and overseas. Notably, NCB 22 supported readiness operations, fleet maintenance, and contingency engineering exercises in support of Navy and joint force requirements.
“This command tour has been the pinnacle of my career,” said Petersen. “It’s been my honor.” Petersen, recently selected for promotion to captain, has served more than two decades in the Navy Reserve with multiple mobilizations in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. His assignments include leadership roles with NMCBs 17, 18, 25, and 28; First Naval Construction Regiment; and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force–Afghanistan. He is a qualified Seabee Combat Warfare Officer and Fleet Marine Force Qualified Officer.
Cmdr. DePiazza most recently served as operations officer for Seventh Naval Construction Regiment. He brings over 20 years of operational and engineering experience, including assignments with NMCB 14, 22 NCR, U.S. Central Command, and the NAVFAC Contingency Engineering Unit. “Even though we face uncertain times, and even with the reorganization, our core mission has not changed — build! Always build. Everything can be boiled down to that. That is the core of what we do. Our purpose, and my vision for our time together, is centered on enabling your success and our collective ability to meet any challenge,” said DePiazza.
DePiazza is a registered professional engineer and a Seabee Combat Warfare qualified officer. In his civilian capacity, he works as a software engineer at Google, where he supports performance optimization and hardware efficiency for Arm-based servers.
NCB 22 was originally commissioned on Sept. 2, 1942, at Camp Allen, Norfolk, Virginia. During World War II, the battalion deployed to Sitka and Attu, Alaska, completing critical airfield and harbor construction under arctic conditions. The battalion was decommissioned in 1944 and re-established in 1961 as a Reserve unit headquartered in Texas.
In 1990, the unit was redesignated as Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 22 to reflect its integration into the active-duty Naval Construction Force. In September 2024, the unit officially returned to its historical designation, Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) 22, reaffirming its proud legacy and Reserve identity.
Today, NCB 22 operates detachments across the western United States and plays a critical role in supporting Navy and joint operations as part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force. The Change of Command ceremony included the traditional reading of orders, rendering of honors, and remarks by the outgoing and incoming commanding officers. Distinguished guests, family members, and Seabees from across the battalion were in attendance.
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2025 19:19 |
| Story ID: | 542628 |
| Location: | PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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