SUBASE Holds 53rd Change of Command
26 September 2025
From MC2 Lucas J. Hastings
Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) held its 53rd change of command ceremony, Friday, September 26, at 10 a.m., during which Captain Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr. was relieved by Captain Craig E. Litty as Commanding Officer of the nation’s oldest submarine base. The ceremony was held on the base’s Goose Run Golf Course and was not open to the public.
GROTON, Conn. – Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) held its 53rd change of command ceremony, Friday, September 26, at 10 a.m., during which Captain Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr. was relieved by Captain Craig E. Litty as Commanding Officer of the nation’s oldest submarine base. The ceremony was held on the base’s Goose Run Golf Course and was not open to the public.
In command of SUBASE since September 2021, Curtin has been SUBASE’s longest tenured Commanding Officer to date, and has led the nation’s first permanent, continental submarine base with strategic vision, resolute innovation, and untiring commitment.
Under Curtin’s leadership, the base was recognized for sustained superior performance and was selected for the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic 2024 Large Installation Excellence Award.
Curtin drove the completion of major improvements to electrical infrastructure, culminating in the commissioning of two new natural gas turbines, a natural gas fuel cell, and a micro-grid on SUBASE. His stalwart efforts ensured the completion of a more than decade long initiative, reflecting more than $235M invested in assuring the energy reliability, security, and resiliency of SUBASE.
Curtin’s commitment to continuing to build and strengthen community relationships fostered the development of community partnerships and new innovative Intergovernmental Service Agreements (IGSAs). These IGSAs allowed for facilities improvements, refurbishments, and support services to be provided both quicker and at reduced cost to the U.S. Navy. Successful projects included: line repair of the base’s main storm drain piping, saving the Navy almost $2M; lead abatement for a pedestrian tunnel, saving the Navy over $100k; and a water testing and flushing agreement with Groton Utilities, ensuring water safety for all residents in the base’s Beacon Point Homes housing area.
Moreover, SUBASE team initiatives championed by Curtin were commended and adopted throughout Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and Commander, Navy Installations Command. Successful initiatives at SUBASE now being copied at other Navy installations include: coordination of UBER/UBER Eats base access and operations to support young Sailor transportation and food option needs; and, creation of a QR code and feedback system for Unaccompanied Housing (barracks) residents to report maintenance requests and ensure efficient and effective Quality of Life improvements.
Additionally, under his tenure, Curtin’s command was expanded to include leading the operations of Naval Support Activity, Saratoga Springs, a command 180 miles from SUBASE, providing services and support for hundreds of students at Naval Nuclear Propulsion Training Unit, Ballston Spa.
Curtin, a native of Yonkers, New York, will remain in the area, as his next assignment will be on the Staff of the Undersea Warfighting Development Center, headquartered on the base.
Litty, a native of House Springs, Missouri, has held numerous at sea and ashore assignments in his thirty-three years of naval service. He commanded USS SOUTH DAKOTA (SSN 790). Litty’s most recent assignment was Director of Training at Naval Submarine School, where he was responsible for oversight of training and curriculum development for more than five thousand Officer and Enlisted students annually.
SUBASE is currently home to 16 fast-attack submarines and more than 70 tenant commands and activities. The base’s dual mission is to ensure and enhance the nation’s security, by deploying combat-ready submarines and crews, and training a cadre of professional submariners.