Photo By Ensign Paula Hackbart | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile...... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) held a Change of Command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, June 27, 2025.
U.S. Navy Cdr. Andrea Benvenuto relieved Cdr. Jared Mallis as Hopper’s Commanding Officer during the ceremony. Crew, family, and friends all took part in this monumental step for the ship.
U.S. Navy Capt. Adam Cheatham, Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific and guest speaker for the ceremony, shared a few words on Cdr. Mallis’s highly successful tour.
“Your service and leadership have made a lasting impact on this Command and the Sailors who have had the privilege to serve under your command will carry forward the values and lessons you’ve instilled in them,” said Cheatham. “Jared, your leadership has been marked with an unwavering commitment to mission excellence and the well-being of every Sailor.”
During his tenure, Mallis completed a major milestone in Hopper’s lifecycle — the successful completion of a $65 million dry dock availability period, guiding the ship through extensive maintenance, modernization efforts, and critical system upgrades, better equipping the ship to support global operations.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure and honor to be your Captain,” said Mallis. “I’m so very proud of you all and all your many accomplishments. Watching you take back the ship, and get us out of dry dock, and back on board was incredible.”
He thanked Capt. Cheatham’s team, various mentors and naval leaders, friends and family for their support during his time as Commanding Officer.
Benvenuto, from Rochester, N.Y. and who most recently served as Executive Officer of Hopper, also praised the crew for their work during the ship’s recent maintenance availability.
“This crew has set a high standard, and I look forward to building upon the proud legacy of excellence and service that defines this ship and its Sailors,” said Benvenuto, concluding the ceremony.
Following the maintenance availability, Benvenuto will lead the crew of Hopper in training and qualifying on the newly upgraded equipment and all of the ship’s systems to ensure their mission readiness for future operations.
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2025 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 545217 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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