Capt. William J. Galinis relieved Capt. Mary E. Dexter as commanding officer of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) field activity, Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP), Conversion and Repair, Gulf Coast, Sept. 18 in a ceremony in Pascagoula, Miss.
Retired Rear Adm. Mark Hugel gave the ceremony's keynote address. NAVSEA Commander, Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy spoke about how SUPSHIP Gulf Coast has made an invaluable impact on the Navy's ability to build the Fleet.
"(Dexter) led this team of more than 350 military and civilian employees in providing the engineering, quality assurance, contract management, and financial services in partnership with industry to build our 21st century Navy," said McCoy.
Under Dexter's leadership nine ships were delivered to the Fleet, including the littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1).
In addition to serving as the second Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast, Dexter's ship tours include USS Proteus (AS 19) in division officer assignments and USS Merrimack (AO 179) as chief engineer. Waterfront industrial tours include project officer assignments at the Supervisor of Shipbuilding New Orleans; repair officer and program manager's representative at SUPSHIP Pascagoula, Miss.; and production officer for the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center, Yokosuka, Japan.
Staff tours include type desk officer for amphibious and command ships at Commander Naval Surface Forces Pacific Fleet, and combatant type desk officer and maintenance director at the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center. Dexter also served as head, engineering duty officer assignment branch on the staff of Commander Naval Personnel Command at Millington, Tenn.
As SUPSHIP Gulf Coast, she has been responsible for overseeing the construction and delivery of USS Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers, USS San Antonio-class amphibious dock transports, USS Makin Island (LHD 8) and future America-class amphibious assault ships, USS Freedom (LCS 1) class littoral combat ships, future Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM 25) missile range instrumentation ship, and a variety of small craft for special missions and foreign military sales.
Dexter's next assignment is as commanding officer, Engineering Duty Officer School, Port Hueneme, Calif.
Galinis reports to SUPSHIP Gulf Coast, previously serving as the program manager for the LPD17 class of amphibious transport dock ships. As LPD 17 program manager, the first four ships of the San Antonio class of amphibious transport dock ship were commissioned; a fifth, the future USS New York (LPD 21), was delivered; and construction started on four additional hulls.