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SURFACE WARFARE FALL 2020
By Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
SAN DIEGO – Vice Adm. Roy I. Kitchener relieved Vice Adm. Richard Brown as Commander, Naval Surface Forces (COMNAVSURFOR) and Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMNAVSURFPAC) during a change of command ceremony held at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Aug. 3. Recommended for promotion to vice admiral in March, Kitchener reports to San Diego from his job as Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (SURFLANT), based in Norfolk, Virginia. “I am honored to assume command of Naval Surface Forces and command of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet,” said Kitchener. “I am thankful for Vice Admiral Brown’s leadership the past two and a half years. His focus on good stewardship, professional development, and safety were the catalyst for rebuilding a better and smarter force of combat ready ships and battle-minded crews.”
A native of Connecticut, Kitchener graduated from Unity College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1984. He attended the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and received his commission in 1985. He attended the Naval Post Graduate School where he specialized in Western Hemisphere studies and earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Affairs. The ceremony also marked the end of Brown’s 35-year naval career. “The U.S. Navy has the premier surface force in the world—second to none—that controls the seas and provides the nation with combat naval power when
