Photo By Chief Petty Officer Darren Moore | Vice Adm. Richard Seif, commander, Submarine Forces Atlantic, right, appoints Dennis...... read more read more
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GROTON, Conn. – Rear Adm. John Stafford relinquished command of the Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC) during a ceremony at the Submarine Force Museum today.
Vice Adm. Rick Seif, commander, Submarine Forces Atlantic, presided over the event. Following the relinquishment, UWDC Deputy Commander Dennis Boyer assumed temporary command of the organization until the arrival of the prospective commanding officer.
During his remarks as the presiding officer, Seif highlighted Stafford's leadership and the critical mission of UWDC in preparing the force for potential conflict.
"Under [Stafford’s] leadership, guided by the mantra 'innovative, adaptive, responsive,' UWDC has become the forge of undersea warfighting and the absolute engine of tactical development for the fleet," said Seif. "He has taken the immense talent within the undersea enterprise and raised the ceiling of what we can achieve. He has empowered our Sailors and civilians to solve the most difficult tactical problems, making our submarine force and the entire Navy more lethal, more capable, and more ready to defend our nation against any threat."
Stafford’s departure marked the conclusion of a highly impactful tour. From July 2025 to June 2026, he led 300 military and civilian personnel across eight geographically dispersed locations in the United States, Japan, and Italy. During his tenure, Stafford focused his staff on improving warfighting readiness for the "Decade of Maximum Danger," developing multi-domain tactical development exercises, and aligning undersea and joint doctrine.
Under his leadership, UWDC expanded its direct combat support to fleet commanders, training and assessing five carrier strike groups to better integrate all-domain naval power and strengthen alliances worldwide.
In his own remarks, Stafford highlighted the critical importance of teamwork and innovation in maintaining maritime superiority.
"The undersea domain is unforgiving, and success there is never the result of a single individual; our true strength is forged in our collective effort," Stafford said. "When we unite our diverse talents—from the tactical analysts in San Diego to the AI developers here in Groton, and the TOPS professionals supporting the fleet worldwide—our combined energy becomes an unstoppable force multiplier."
Stafford also emphasized the command's rigorous standards and operational impact, noting recent technical milestones during Ice Camp Boarfish and Exercise Black Widow.
"Excellence means we never accept the status quo," Stafford added. "It means that every algorithmic update, every tactical memo, and every exercise—from the Arctic ice to the Mediterranean—is executed with the profound understanding that national security and American lives depend on our precision."
Following the ceremony, Stafford will report to Naples, Italy, where he will relieve Rear Adm. Miller as Commander, Submarine Group 8.
A 1997 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Stafford assumed command of UWDC in June 2025 after serving as chief of staff, Submarine Forces Atlantic. His previous command tours include Submarine Squadron 4 in Groton, as well as serving as the commanding officer of the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773). His other submarine tours include USS Dallas (SSN 700), USS Topeka (SSN 754), and USS Nebraska (SSN 739).
UWDC was established Sept. 1, 2015, to enhance undersea warfighting capabilities and readiness across the theater, operational and tactical levels of war. Committed to being innovative, adaptive, and responsive, UWDC tackles the broad and complex undersea warfare challenges of both today and tomorrow. Its mission is to lead undersea superiority, enabling decisive effects from or in the undersea domain when and where the operational commander directs.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2026 16:23 |
| Story ID: | 566984 |
| Location: | GROTON, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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