The command of a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine was passed forward today, June 6, in a time-honored change of command ceremony at the submarine piers on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Commander Christopher Buziak, commanding officer of USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) was relieved by Cmdr. Travis Petzoldt.
During his nearly 36 months in command, Buziak took his submarine and crew through a 14-month maintenance period, a Western Pacific deployment, and numerous shorter underway periods.
The ceremony’s guest speaker, retired Adm. Tom Fargo, praised Buziak for a job well done, considering that 87 percent of the crew had never been on a Western Pacific deployment.
During the ceremony, Buziak was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his command of City of Corpus Christi from August 2011 to June 2014.
As Petzoldt assumed command of City of Corpus Christi, he thanked Buziak for turning over a great ship and highly enthusiastic crew.
City of Corpus Christi is the second ship to be named after the Texas city, and is capable of conducting anti-surface and anti-submarine operations along with guided-missile strike operations using conventional Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles.
Press release, June 08, 2014; Image: Wikimedia