Last modified Wed., May 07, 2008 - 03:47 PM
Originally created Thursday, May 8, 2008

CDS 24 Holds Change Of Command

From Staff

Commander, Destroyer Squadron 24, Capt. Bob Kapico, right, salutes Rear Adm. Donald Quinn, Commander, Strike Force Training, Atlantic as he is relieved of command by Capt. John Kersh Jr. during a change of command ceremony on May 2 on board USS Roosevelt. Photo by Paige Gnann

Capt. John Kersh Jr relieved Capt. Bob Kapcio as Commander, Destroyer Squadron 24 during a change of command ceremony held aboard USS Roosevelt on May 2. Adm. James Stavridis, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, was guest speaker at the event. Rear Adm. Donald Quinn, Commander, Strike Force Training, Atlantic, was special guest at the event.

Kersh is the son of Rear Admiral and Mrs. John Kersh of Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Affairs and was commissioned via the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1984.

From 1985 to 1988 he was assigned to USS Antrim (FFG 20) as Combat Information Center Officer followed by Damage Control Assistant. In 1990 he graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California with a Master of Science degree Aeronautical Engineering. He was assigned as Combat Systems Officer in USS Copeland (FFG 25) and USS Jouett (CG 29) from 1991 to 1994.

In March 1994 he reported to Arlington, Virginia for duty as Project Officer for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System in the Program Executive Office, Theater Air Defense. He was executive officer in USS Taylor (FFG 50) from October 1997 to January 1999. He served as Chief Staff Officer in Destroyer Squadron 28 from February 1999 to July 2000. As Chief Staff, he was the principle assistant to the Joint Task Force Noble Anvil Sea Combat Commander during operation Allied Force. He graduated from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies in June 2001.

From November 2001 to August 2003 he commanded USS Ingraham (FFG 61). Ingraham participated in operation Enduring Freedom in the North Arabian Sea, conducting Maritime Interception Operations in a multi-national environment in the vicinity of Pakistan. He was deployed from January 2003 to August 2003 in the Western Pacific with Carl Vinson Strike Group. While he was in command, Ingraham received the Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation and Battle Effectiveness Award.

He was head of the Surface Warfare Module at Tactical Training Group, Atlantic from September 2003 to February 2005. He helped train a number of ships and Strike Groups to participate in operations in the Fifth and Sixth Fleet.

Kersh was the Joint Context and Homeland Defense department head at Joint Forces Command J9 from February 2005 to January 2008. Advanced distributed synthetic modeling and simulation were developed to assist the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security in disaster avoidance and consequence management.

Kapcio, a native of Syracuse, New York, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982. Following his commissioning, he served two tours in San Diego, California in USS Bronstein (FF-1037) as the First Lieutenant and Main Propulsion Assistant and later in USS Elliot (DD-967) as the Combat Information Center Officer and Assistant Operations Officer.

In 1987, Kapcio was selected to serve as an Intern on the Joint Staff where he served in the J-5 Europe/NATO Branch at the Pentagon. Following the internship he served as an Action Officer in the Persian Gulf/Southwest Asia Branch, Politico-Military Policy and Current Plans Division (OP-611), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

After graduating from Department Head School, Captain Kapcio reported as commissioning Operations Officer in USS Barry (DDG- 52) followed by a tour at U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) Current Operations Division (J-33) as a Maritime Operations Planner where he assisted in the planning of Operation Uphold Democracy and Maintain Democracy. In 1996 Captain Kapcio forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan for a tour as Executive Officer in USS Bunker Hill (CG-52).

After graduation from the United States Naval War College in June 1999, he was assigned as the Maritime Branch Head, Doctrine Department during the standup of the Navy Warfare Development Command.

Kapcio served as commanding officer in USS Taylor (FFG-50) from 2000-2001 in Mayport, Florida. Upon completion of his CO tour, he served as the Operations Officer for Commander, Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deploying in USS Enterprise (CVN-65) from 2003-2004 in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

In 2006, Kapcio completed a tour as the Deputy Director, Navy Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He assumed duties as Commander, Destroyer Squadron 24 in May 2006.