SUB LEARNING CENTER HAS COMMAND, RETIREMENT CEREMONY

Groton — Capt. Aaron Thieme relieved Capt. Andrew Jarrett as commanding officer of the Submarine Learning Center during a change of command and retirement ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London on June 14.

Jarrett retired after 29 years of honorable naval service. He served as the sixth commanding officer of Submarine Learning Center from December 2015 until June 2018. Thieme was most recently the commanding officer of Naval Submarine School.

Guest speaker Rear Adm. Michael Jabaley, program executive officer for submarines, humorously recounted his long association with Jarrett but was serious and sincere in lauding his achievements for an overflow audience of family, friends, shipmates and staff.

For his part, in his final remarks to his SLC staff, Jarrett said he was fortunate to be surrounded by so many dedicated professionals working to constantly improve the Submarine Force and Sailor training.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your commanding officer as together we strove to develop the finest and best trained sailors in the world for the world’s most advanced and finest Submarine Force,” said Jarrett.

In his remarks upon assumption of command, Thieme spoke of Submarine Force operations in today’s maritime environment and the role of hard work and constant training in the success of maintaining maritime superiority undersea.

“Much of that work falls on your shoulders in the training that you are doing today,” Thieme told his new command. “I want you to feel a sense of seriousness and urgency — not just importance — but urgency in the work you do in developing the training and giving the training for our sailors and our teams in the science and art of operating in the undersea.

“Our future as a force and as a Navy quite literally depends on it.”