Cmdr. Kelly, a native of Annapolis, Maryland, assumed command of Daniel Inouye in December 2024 following the ship’s return from her maiden deployment in the Seventh and Fifth Fleet area of operation. Under Cmdr. Kelly’s leadership, the crew completed an early transition through a Selected Restricted Availability and executed the first Navy Region Hawaii damage control full-scale exercise in more than two years—significantly enhancing the ship's ability to deliver maximum lethality.
Cmdr. Kelly addressed the crew, “It was a true honor to serve as commanding officer of USS Daniel Inouye, carrying forward the name and legacy of Senator Inouye. Every day, we are challenged to live up to his example of humility, courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to serving others - the standard by which all leaders should strive to live their lives. I will always be grateful for the crew’s ‘Go For Broke’ mentality, giving everything they had to every mission, every challenge, and one another.”
Cmdr. Gardner, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, now assumes command as Daniel Inouye’s fifth commanding officer. Having previously served as the ship’s executive officer, he thanked Cmdr. Kelly during the ceremony, saying, “You leave behind an exceptional ship and crew, and it is now my responsibility to continue building the culture you established here.”
In his closing remarks, Cmdr. Gardner highlighted his promise to the crew, “Our standard of success will be combat readiness, personal readiness, material readiness, and tactical readiness. We will train hard, learn to fight as one team, and raise the standard for what a combat-ready warship looks like.”
USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) is an Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The ship is named in honor of the late U.S. Senator and Medal of Honor recipient Daniel K. Inouye, originally from Hawaii, who served in the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II, the ship operates under his unit’s famous motto: “Go for Broke.”
| Date Taken: |
05.22.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
05.23.2026 03:26 |
| Story ID: |
566050 |
| Location: |
PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: |
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: |
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: |
23 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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