New CO For Underwood

The ceremony was held on the pier in front of Underwood at Naval Station Mayport, with Commodore Glenn W. Zeiders, Captain, Destroyer Squadron 14, presiding.

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Bowden most recently graduated from National Defense University Industrial College of the Armed Forces (National Resource Strategy) with a concentration in the Shipbuilding Industry Studies program.

Prior to that, he served in the Multi-National Corps-Iraq at Camp Victory, Baghdad, on the CJ-8 staff and was in charge of the Joint Acquisition Review Board, which validated hundreds of millions of dollars in Army non-stock item requirements in direct support of combat operations. His most recent sea tour was as Executive Officer in USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) in Norfolk, Virginia.

While in command, Smith led Underwood through a Conventional Ordnance Safety Review Inspection, 3M certification, Bureau of Inspection and Survey, Field Examination Group Inspection, and a Compressed Unit Level Training Cycle.

Smith also led the crew through a historic Counter Narcotics-Terrorism Operations deployment. During this deployment, Underwood seized and disrupted over 52,000 pounds of contraband worth $1.6 billion, captured Underwood's first Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible loaded with 12,000 pounds of narcotics, apprehended 39 narcotics smugglers, rescued 43 Chinese migrants at sea, and captured six detainees who were later charged with human trafficking.

Smith's next assignment will be at OPNAV.