Campbell Is New DeWert Captain

Those present included the crew of DeWert and close friends and family. Highlights of the traditional change of command ceremony were the arrival and departure of the official party, presentation of the Commissioning Pennant to DeClue, and the reading of orders.

DeClue's remarks focused on the unselfish efforts of the crew during a period of high operational tempo and expectations of even greater success in the future as Campbell takes the helm.

Campbell, a Lowell, MA native, is DeWert's 15th commanding officer since the ship's commissioning in 1983. Graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1987, Campbell served his first Division Officer tour in USS Millet (FF 1091) in Newport, RI as the Main Propulsion Assistant. Follow-on tours included Engineering Readiness and Training Officer for Destroyer Squadron 12 and Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey, Calif.

Campbell served his Department Head tours from 1994-1998 as the Chief Engineer in both USS Ford (FFG 54) and USS Vincennes (CG 49). Additionally, he retuned to Newport, R.I., as the Academic Director Division Officer course, and attended the Naval War College. His executive officer tour was also a frigate, USS Hawes (FFG 53) from 2001-2002.

Most recently, Campbell served on staff of the Director, Surface Warfare (OPNAV N76) until 2006 as Strategy Liaison, Deputy Executive Assistant and ultimately, Executive Assistant to the Director.

DeClue's tour in DeWert included eight months of deployment, mainly patrolling the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific in support of Counter Narco-Terrorism Operations. He also led DeWert through multi-national exercises on each deployment with Navies from a total of seven other countries.