USS Greeneville (SSN 772) Holds Change of Command Ceremony

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Tiarra Brown | NAVAL BASE POINT LOMA, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2026) Capt. Phillip Sylvia, left, commander, Submarine Squadron 11, stands with Cmdr. Chad Tella, off-going commanding officer, Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Greeneville (SSN 772), during the change of command ceremony for Greeneville onboard Naval Base Point Loma, Feb. 17, 2026. During the ceremony, Tella was relieved by Cmdr. Spencer Ovren as commanding officer of Greeneville. Greeneville is assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 11, home to four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines, which are capable of supporting various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tiarra Brown)  

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

02.17.2026

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Rashan Jefferson 

Commander, Submarine Squadron 11

NAVAL BASE POINT LOMA, Calif. – Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Greeneville (SSN 772) conducted a change of command ceremony onboard Naval Base Point Loma, Feb. 17, 2026. During the ceremony, Cmdr. Spencer Ovren relieved Cmdr. Chad Tella as Greeneville’s commanding officer.

U.S. Navy Capt. (ret.) Jeremy Pelstring served as the guest speaker for the ceremony, and Capt. Phillip Sylvia Jr., commander, Submarine Squadron 11, served as the presiding officer.

Under Tella’s leadership, Greeneville completed a homeport shift to San Diego from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, including a transit through the Panama Canal, a two-month surge deployment, and most recently, a successful deployment to the Western Pacific. During the deployment, Greeneville and her crew operated at the tip of the spear, conducting the full spectrum of SSN operations alongside U.S. and Allied forces. Greeneville’s crew was also awarded the 2025 Commander, Submarine Squadron 11 Battle "E" Award, an award that recognizes the unit with the highest overall readiness to carry out wartime tasks.

“This crew has done everything a submarine crew could be asked to do, not just completing the tasks, but excelling far beyond anything expected of them,” said Tella. “I will miss the Sailors and officers who make Greeneville what it is. It’s a hard job being assigned to a submarine, but these Sailors and officers show up every day and do an amazing job. I was blessed to have such an amazing crew who made everything possible during my tour.”

Tella’s next assignment will be in Washington D.C., where he will serve as the Military Assistant for the Assistant Secretary of War for Strategy, Plans, and Forces.

Prior to assuming command of Greeneville, Ovren served as the Submarine Officer Assignments Branch Head and Executive Officer detailer in Millington, Tennessee.

“Taking command of an operational submarine homeported in San Diego is like finding a crown jewel,” said Ovren. “I consider myself extremely lucky and honored to have such an opportunity ahead of me. Greeneville is one of the most advanced and complex machines in the world, and operating her safely and effectively at-sea requires our best effort, every day.”

Commissioned on February 16, 1996, Greeneville is the only vessel in United States naval history named after Greeneville, Tennessee. Greeneville is one of four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 11, capable of supporting various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

For more information, contact [e-mail], call [phone], or visit our command website at https://www.csp.navy.mil/css11/

• Date Taken: 02.17.2026
• Date Posted: 02.20.2026 17:54
• Story ID: 558523
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US