USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) Holds Change of Command Ceremony

by Lt. William Ash

02 April 2024

 

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) held a change of command ceremony at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3373, April 2.

The ceremony marked the transfer of command from Capt. Matthew H. Hall to Cmdr. Daniel A. Hancock, who became the ship’s seventh commanding officer.

Hall assumed command of Zumwalt in February 2023 following the completion of a 15-month tour as the executive officer. During Hall’s command tour, USS Zumwalt completed two maintenance availabilities, joint exercise Northern Edge 23, a Panama Canal transit and homeport shift from San Diego, California to Pascagoula, Mississippi.

“It has been an honor and privilege to work with this great crew, fighting through the many hurdles we faced during 2023 and 2024,” said Hall. “I witnessed our crew evolve and improve through increasingly complicated challenges, adapting, overcoming, and proudly serving every step of the process. I have no doubt the professionalism, resilience and honor of these Sailors will continue to serve Zumwalt and her new commanding officer as she brings critical hypersonic capabilities to the surface fleet for the first time in history.”

Hancock served as USS Zumwalt’s executive officer from February 2023 through April 2024. His previous operational tours include commissioning commanding officer in Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), executive officer in USS Port Royal (CG 73), department head tours in USS Hue City (CG 66), and USS Farragut (DDG 99). He has deployed to all fleet areas, most notably in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve.

A 2002 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he also holds a Master of Arts in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a Middle East and South Asia regional specialist and Arabic linguist.

Commissioned in 2016, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is named in honor of Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., a native of Tulare, California and 1942 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. After serving as the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Vietnam, he was appointed as the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, the youngest admiral to hold the position. Zumwalt was known as a reformer whose Z-Grams fundamentally changed the fabric of the Navy. Adm. Zumwalt is credited with creating military career opportunities for women and minorities, establishing the Ombudsman program, as well as improving the quality-of-life for Navy Sailors. Many of his programs remain in effect to this day.