Cmdr. Geoffrey B. Pagano relieved Cmdr. Troy R. Denison, who was Truxtun’s executive officer for 18 months before taking command of the ship in Jan. 2017.
Denison enlisted in the Navy in 1993 and became a commissioned officer in 1999 after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute.
“To command a destroyer at sea has been a lifelong dream of mine,” said Denison. “I can’t thank the officers and crew of this ship enough for allowing me to fulfill this dream and for making it so special.”
Pagano takes over as the commanding officer, after serving as the executive officer of USS O’Kane (DDG 77).
Pagano graduated from The Citadel in 2000 and later obtained his master’s degree from George Washington University.
“I’m honored to be named commanding officer of Truxtun,” said Pagano. “There’s no other ship I would rather be on, and I look forward to getting this ship back to warfighting.”
Truxtun was commissioned in 2009 and is named after Commodore Thomas Truxtun, who was one of the first six commanders appointed by George Washington to the newly-formed U.S. Navy.