Cmdr. Jason Pittman relieved Cmdr. Jeffrey Lamphear as commanding officer of Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Helena (SSN 725) during a change of command ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, June 15.
Guest speaker was Capt. Blake Converse, chief of staff, Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic.
Under the command of Lamphear, the submarine completed two major deployments. Helena just returned from a European Command and Central Command deployment in May 2015, and completed a Central Command deployment in October 2013. During these deployments the crew executed the Chief of Naval Operations’ Maritime Strategy in conducting Maritime Security Operations supporting national security interests.
Lamphear, a native of Livonia, Michigan, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Mechanics.
Pittman, a native of Killeen, Texas, is a graduate of the University of Texas where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He also holds a master’s degree in Education from Troy State and a master’s in National Security and Strategy from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Helena is the 38th Los Angeles-class attack submarine and fourth ship to bear the name of the capital city, Helena, Montana. The submarine was built by the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation, Groton, Connecticut, and commissioned July 11, 1987. The 360-foot ship has a current crew compliment of 15 officers and 129 enlisted Sailors, and displaces more than 7,100 tons of water.
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Image: US Navy