Submarine Squadron 1 Changes Hands
05 January 2017
From Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton, , Submarine Force Pacific Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Commander, Submarine Squadron 1 held a change of command ceremony at the historic submarine piers of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Jan. 5. Capt. Timothy Rexrode, commanding officer of Submarine Squadron 1, was relieved by Capt. Richard Seif.Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Rear Adm. Frederick Roegge
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Commander, Submarine Squadron 1 held a change of command ceremony at the historic submarine piers of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Jan. 5.
Capt. Timothy Rexrode, commanding officer of Submarine Squadron 1, was relieved by Capt. Richard Seif.
Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Rear Adm. Frederick Roegge was the guest speaker for the ceremony and praised Rexrode for his hard work and wished him luck at his next command, as the executive assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon.
"I am particularly impressed with Tim’s thoughtful leadership and mentorship of the submarine commanding officers in his charge,” said Roegge. "Tim, the submariners of Squadron 1 will miss you, but the vice chief will be fortunate to have you.”
Roegge also welcomed Seif to Pearl Harbor and expressed his confidence in him as the new commander of Squadron 1.
“It’s clear that Tim will be a difficult act to follow,” said Roegge. “But it’s equally clear to me that you are exactly the right man to build upon that legacy; and Rick, I challenge you to lead Squadron 1 to even greater success.”
During the ceremony, Roegge presented Rexrode with the Legion of Merit Medal for exceptional meritorious conduct while serving as Commander, Submarine Squadron 1 from March, 2015 until Jan., 2017.
Rexrode took time to thank those in attendance as well as the men and women he’s been commanding.
“First, if you think the pro bowl is leaving Hawaii, look again at the roster of Squadron 1’s commanding officers,” said Rexrode. “To be the leader of that group was the utmost privilege. Captains, I learned a lot from each and every one of you and just as I said earlier, I remain your biggest fan and supporter.”
Seif addressed his new command for the first time and commended Rexrode on his success at Squadron 1.
“Tim, by all accounts and every metric, under your watch Squadron 1 has truly set a high bar for submarine operational readiness and proficiency,” said Seif. “To the staff of Squadron 1, I have been very impressed with your professionalism and your track record of success. I challenge each of you to continue your superb efforts to support our boats as they work to meet milestones, prepare to deploy, and maintain mission readiness.”
Seif served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Submarine Group 7/Task Force 74 in Yokosuka, Japan. He most recently served in the Pentagon as the Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities.
Submarine Squadron 1 was first established in May 1941 at New London, Connecticut. On Oct. 1, 1945, Submarine Squadron 1 moved to the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, and has remained there ever since.
For more news from the Pacific Submarine Force, visit www.csp.navy.mil.