BATH —Bath Iron Works got a visit Wednesday from Adm. John Richardson, the Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations.
According to his spokesman, Public Affairs Officer Chris Servello, Richardson’s three-hour visit was an opportunity to meet with shipyard workers and supervisors “and see first-hand the work being done on the latest DDG-51 and DDG- 1000 class ships.”
Richardson toured the USS Zumwalt — a guided missile stealth destroyer and first of its class, which underwent six days of sea trials in December 2015 before returning to BIW.
Richardson also spoke before the crews of the Zumwalt and the USS Rafael Peralta, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer christened at BIW in October.
“For a number of reasons it’s great to be here,” he told the shipyard leadership. “There is so much going on between the Navy and Bath. You only have to look to recent headlines to understand the impact your shipbuilders have on our national security.”
Before traveling to Maine, Richardson and his team spent the morning at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.
His visit to BIW was not open to the press.
Richardson began serving as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations on Sept. 18, 2015.
As Chief of Naval Operations, Richardson is the senior military officer of the Department of the Navy. He is a four-star admiral and is responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the command, utilization of resources, and operating efficiency of the operating forces of the Navy and of the Navy shore activities assigned by the Secretary, according to the Navy’s official website.
Richardson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 and holds master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and National Security Strategy from the National War College.
His background and service has mostly involved submarines, with staff assignments include duty in the attack submarine division on the Chief of Naval Operations staff; Naval aide to the president; prospective commanding officer instructor for Commander, Submarine Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet; assistant deputy director for Regional Operations on the Joint Staff; and director of Strategy and Policy at U.S. Joint Forces Command.
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