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John C. Stennis Holds Change of Command

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110320-04
3/20/2011

By Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Dugan Flynn, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Public Affairs

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) held a change of command ceremony March 18 in the ship's hangar bay.

At the ceremony, Capt. Ronald Reis relieved Capt. Joseph Kuzmick as the commanding officer of John C. Stennis.

Reis, a graduate of University of California - Davis, received his commission through Aviation Officer Candidate School and became an aviator in 1987. He is reporting to John C. Stennis after commanding USS Nassau (LHA 4).

"Today I join a crew and a ship that is squarely between the buoys, sailing true and proud, headed for open ocean," said Reis. "Capt. Kuzmick, you will be sorely missed by the men and women of this fine warship and the greater Bremerton community."

Rear Adm. Joseph P. Aucoin, Carrier Strike Group 3, commander, presided over the ceremony and commended Kuzmick's efforts and the progress made during his time aboard John C. Stennis as captain.

"Leadership does not command excellence, leadership builds excellence," said Aucoin. "That is what Capt. Kuzmick has been doing these past two and a half years."

During Kuzmick's command, John C. Stennis launched and recovered more than 14,000 aircraft and qualified 115 new pilots with zero mishaps. The ship deployed in 2009 to the Western Pacific and participated in a host of additional underways in support of carrier operations.

Under Kuzmick's command, John C. Stennis served as the centerpiece for the Centennial of Naval Aviation, held at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego Feb. 12. John C. Stennis also received the Edward F. Ney Award for the best food service in the fleet and two consecutive retention excellence awards. Most recently, John C. Stennis completed tailored ship's training availability/final evaluation problem and the Congress-mandated Board of Inspection and Survey.

"What has been truly and absolutely captivating to me is how well this crew responded to virtually every challenge," said Kuzmick. "There's been difficult stuff, but they executed everything with almost no white space in the schedule. The demand for aircraft carriers by our combatant commanders around the world is absolutely relentless. I want to promise you that this crew stands ready to continue this successful tradition."

Kuzmick will report to Commander, Navy Region Northwest.