Rear Adm. Roy Kitchener relieved Rear Adm. Jesse A. Wilson Jr., as commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT), during a change of command ceremony at the Joint Forces Staff College MacArthur auditorium today.

The ceremony was also an opportunity to recognize Wilson’s retirement after 33-years of naval service.

As commander since July 2017, Wilson credits the headquarters team, waterfront leadership and the 27,000 personnel across the Atlantic Force for adopting and executing the command’s motto "Ready Ships, Ready Sailors, and Ready Civilians."

"You significantly increased the readiness of the Atlantic Force by prioritizing readiness and overcoming all challenges… together we properly manned, tactically trained, and effectively equipped a force that is competent, confident, proficient, and ready to fight and win today and tomorrow," said Wilson.

Wilson and the entire SURFLANT team were responsible for ensuring the readiness of 75 ships and more than 25 shore commands.

Significant changes were implemented to ensure the force was trained for the high-end fight and building a culture of excellence. These changes included a revision of the Surface Force Training and Readiness Manual, as well as the establishment of Mariner Skills Week; Bridge Resource Management Workshops; Navigation Councils; Type Commander-level Planning Board for Maintenance and Modernization; Crew Endurance and Fatigue Policy; and Force Preservation Councils.

The ruthless execution of generating ships ready for operational tasking yielded increased readiness and proficiency. SURFLANT ensured the readiness and ability of the Atlantic Force to provide maritime security, ballistic missile defense, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, anti-submarine warfare, and the precise, overwhelming and effective employment of missiles that struck targets in Syria in support of national objectives to deter the future use of chemical weapons.

Wilson’s relief, Kitchener most recently served as the U.S. Deputy Military Representative for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee.

"I am humbled and honored to be a part of this team… together we will guarantee the surface force, our ships and our warfighters, are ready to fight and win, wherever and whenever needed," said Kitchener.

SURFLANT is a U.S. naval type command that provides combat-ready surface forces for U.S. Fleet Forces Command and combatant commanders that are capable of conducting prompt, sustained naval, joint, and combined operations in support of United States national interests.

Established in 1975, SURFLANT is responsible for manning, training and equipping the Atlantic force, which includes ships stationed stateside on the east coast, as well as forward deployed in Bahrain; Rota, Spain; and the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System in Romania and Poland.

"To go in harm's way" in defense of the principles of freedom and democracy has been the rally call of surface force Sailors for more than 200 years.

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