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PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD, Maine – The USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) conducted a closed-door change of command ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Maine Friday, Dec. 18.
Cmdr. Matthew Pianetta relieved Cmdr. Christopher Hedrick aboard the Los Angeles-class submarine during the event, which was limited to boat personnel due to an ongoing engineering overhaul and COVID 19 restrictions.
Capt. Ravi Desai, Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) TWELVE Deputy for Training, presided over the ceremony.
Outgoing skipper Hedrick, who assumed command of Santa Fe in April 2018, praised the crew in his remarks to Pianetta, who is “inheriting a great crew with a phenomenal work ethic.”
“The crew as a whole works as a team and is always ready for the next challenge,” Hedrick said. “I know you will enjoy your time on board and will be successful.”
Hedrick also spoke of his tour saying he “was lucky enough to operate in the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans.”
“The highlight of my tour was deploying to the Seventh Fleet and supporting National Security objectives,” Hedrick added. “Certifying the crew, conducting operations, and serving in the Seventh Fleet was exciting and highly gratifying.”
Pianetta congratulated his predecessor, stating that “you’re leaving big shoes to fill.”
“I am excited to be able to join and lead the crew of the Santa Fe from the depths of a major availability through a full operation cycle,” Pianetta said. “I am proud to take over such a motivated and engaged crew. I hope they are all as excited as I am for what the future holds for the Santa Fe.”
Hedrick, a native of Glendale, Calif. and Oregon State University graduate, enlisted in the Navy Nuclear program in 1995 and was later commissioned in 2000 through Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Fla. His previous tours include three Pearl Harbor-based submarines, USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), USS Charlotte (SSN 766), and USS Columbia (SSN 771).
Pianetta, a 2002 Naval Academy graduate, reported to his first submarine USS Key West (SSN 722) in 2004. His previous tours include the USS Nevada (SSBN 733), USS Seawolf (SSN 221) and USS Pasadena (SSN 752).
Santa Fe, commissioned in Jan. 1994, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the capital city of New Mexico and has been homeported Portsmouth Naval Shipyard since August 2019. Los Angeles-class attack submarines like Santa Fe feature advanced fire control systems, retractable bow planes, and 12 vertical launch tubes for Tomahawk cruise missile strikes.
Santa Fe and crew operate under SUBRON 12 whose primary mission is to provide attack submarines that are ready, willing, and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe.
| Date Taken: | 12.18.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2020 12:32 |
| Story ID: | 385325 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD, MAINE, US |
| Hometown: | GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,413 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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