New Commander aboard USS California

Cmdr. Eric Sager relieved Cmdr. Shawn Huey as commanding officer of the Virginia-class attack submarine USS California (SSN 781) during a change of command ceremony held onboard the ship at U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut, April 24.

Huey’s next assignment will be the executive assistant to the Director, Undersea Warfare on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations.

He enlisted in the Navy in 1990, and after completing recruit training, he attended Machinist’s Mate “A” School, Nuclear Power School, and Nuclear Prototype Training. After qualification at prototype, he was selected to participate in the Nuclear Enlisted Commissioning Program. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in August 1995, and received his commission at Officer Candidate School in December 1995.

Sager’s last duty was as the Tactical Readiness Evaluation team executive officer of the staff of Commander, Submarine Forces. A native of Weymouth, Massachusetts, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He also holds a Master’s degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University.

The eighth Virginia-class submarine commissioned, and the seventh U.S. Navy ship named for the Golden State, California was built by Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned on Oct. 29, 2011, at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

California enables five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence. The submarine is designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. California is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam, able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operates at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged.

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Image: US Navy