Capt. Scott A. Tait took over command of the Bathbuilt USS Zumwalt from Capt. James A. Kirk at a ceremony on Tuesday.

The first in its class, Zumwalt, cost over $4 billion in construction costs alone. The destroyer was commissioned in Maryland in October and arrived at its new homeport in San Diego earlier this month. In his remarks, Kirk praised the ship’s crew for their work over the last three years preparing the U.S. Navy’s most advanced guided-missile destroyer to join the fleet.

“Some have spent much of the last three years away from their families,” said Kirk. “Some uprooted their families to Maine to spend a year or two that turned into three.”

“These 147 sailors tamed this beast, completed all crew certification requirements, and sailed down the Kennebec River into open water on the seventh of September,” he added.

Kirk will be reporting back to the Pentagon for his next assignment. Tait will oversee the installation and testing of weapon systems on the USS Zumwalt over the next year before it eventually joins the fleet in an active role.

“I could not be more excited, or feel more blessed, to be leading this incredible team through this unique chapter in our Navy’s history,” Tait said. “That next chapter would not be possible if not for the effort that has gone into bringing Zumwalt to her current state. Words cannot express my gratitude, or my admiration, for the ship and crew that Capt. Kirk is turning over.”

nstrout@timesrecord.com

The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu