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Oklahoma City Holds Change of Command

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110311-07
3/11/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Corwin Colbert, U.S. Naval Forces, Marianas Public Affairs

SANTA RITA, Guam (NNS) -- USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) held a change of command ceremony aboard U.S. Naval Base Guam, March 8.

Cmdr. Andrew Peterson relieved Cmdr. Aaron Thieme as commanding officer of USS Oklahoma City.

"[This is] a truly remarkable accomplishment for a crew fresh out of a two-year shipyard availability," said Capt. John Russ, commodore of Submarine Squadron 15. "From the transit from the East Coast to Guam, Cmdr. Thieme and the crew answered the call. With your arrival here last week, you completed an important chapter of the life of this ship – bringing USS Oklahoma City to the frontline to begin its next chapter as a member of the forward deployed naval forces of the 7th Fleet here in Guam."

Russ presented Thieme with the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding meritorious service as commanding officer of the Los Angeles-class submarine.

After receiving the award, Thieme commended the crew for their hard work and dedication.

"Over the last two years, you have proved to be undersea warriors," Thieme said. "You have accomplished the hardest mission a crew can be assigned, and you've done it well."

Thieme spoke of the many challenges and changes the crew had to overcome and said that they handled them professionally.

"Don't let anybody undermine, minimize or discount the significance of your achievements with completing the overhaul and bringing this warship to Guam," he said. "A submarine overhaul is by far the hardest thing we task our Sailors to do."

Thieme said the ceremony marked the return of the submarine's fully operational return to the fleet.

"Today is really about the celebration of this ship, here in Guam – overhauled, repaired, good as new for her 22nd year of service and ready to jump immediately into the workup schedule to finally do the mission we really love to do as submariners," he said.

Peterson said he was grateful to be the commanding officer and was eager to continue the submarine's mission.

"To the men of Oklahoma City, I commend you for the condition of the ship and your assistance during the turnover," Peterson said. "I am honored to join you as an Oklahoma City warrior and feel privileged to be your commanding officer. I look forward to serving you in that capacity on the pointy end of the spear as part of the forward deployed naval forces here in Guam."

With a crew of approximately 130 personnel, Oklahoma City completed an engineered overhaul in November 2010 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Oklahoma City is the second naval vessel to be named after Oklahoma's capitol city. The boat was launched Nov. 2, 1985, and commissioned July 9, 1988.

For more news from U.S. Naval Forces, Marianas, visit www.navy.mil/local/guam/.