CDS 14 Holds Change Of Command

Rear Adm. Kevin Quinn, Commander Naval Surface Force Atlantic, was the distinguished guest speaker.

Zeiders graduated from Dickinson College in 1983 with a B.A. in Economics, and was commissioned via Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island in 1985.

Zeiders' first sea duty assignment was on board USS Moosbrugger (DD 980) where he served as Auxiliaries Officer, Main Propulsion Assistant and Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. From 1988 to 1990, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, graduating with a M.S. degree in Information Systems.

Following Department Head School in 1990, Zeiders reported to USS Callaghan (DDG 994) where he served as Engineer Officer from 1991 to 1992. Following this tour, he served as a Gas Turbine Examiner on the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Propulsion Examining Board from 1992 to 1994.

From 1994 to 1997, Captain Zeiders was assigned to the staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command, where he served as Chief, Networks and Special Projects and Chief, Programs and Projects in the Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (J6) Directorate.

In 1997 and 1998, Zeiders served as Executive Officer in USS Gonzalez (DDG 66). Following his Executive Officer tour, he was assigned as NATO Training and Exercises Officer on the staff of Commander, Striking Fleet Atlantic and Commander, Second Fleet from 1998 to 2001.

Zeiders next assignment was as Commanding Officer, USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) from January 2002 to September 2004. During his tour in Ticonderoga, the ship was awarded all Mission Area Excellence Awards, the Golden Anchor Retention Excellence Award, and the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy.

Following his tour in Ticonderoga, Zeiders served as Flag Surface Operations Officer on the staff of Commander, Carrier Strike Group 6 embarked in USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67), where he completed a deployment to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. From February 2006 to February 2007, Zeiders deployed to Djibouti, Africa where he served as the Maritime Coordination Element Officer in Charge on the staff of Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF HOA).

Zeiders served as Commander of Afloat Training Group Mayport from March 2007 to February 2008.

Reese assumed command of DESRON 14/ FFG Class Squadron in November 2006. Under his charge, DESRON 14 was able to meet every requirement pertinent to fleet readiness during his two years of service as well as pioneer the new FFG Class Squadron. Reese's next assignment is in Arlington, Va.

DESRON 14 can be traced back to November 1920, when it began as a reserve organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Squadron was decommissioned at the end of World War II and re-commissioned in October 1946 and homeported in Newport, Rhode Island. In June, 1959, the Squadron's homeport was changed to Mayport, Florida, becoming the first Destroyer Squadron ever homeported at this Naval Station. In July 2004, the Squadron's mission changed and the staff was restructured from a tactical deploying DESRON to a Training and Readiness Squadron and ISIC for 11 ships homeported in Mayport, FL. DESRON 14 supervises and coordinates the maintenance and unit level training of each ship providing surge ready assets to conduct independent and ESG-CSG deployments to SECONDFLT, THIRDFLT, FIFTHFLT and SIXTHFLT areas of responsibility in support of global naval presence, Counter-Narco terrorism and homeland defense. DESRON 14's ISIC responsibilities include 13 ships, all homeported in Mayport. In addition to being the Navy's largest destroyer squadron, DESRON 14 provides medical, career counselor, legal, religious and equal opportunity services to the 21 warships homeported in Mayport, Fla.