Capt. John Hale recently assumed the command of Naval Base Kitsap. He succeeds former Commanding Officer, Capt. Rich Massie, in the position. His initial sea tour was onboard USS La Jolla (SSN 701), where he served as Main Propulsion Assistant and Communicator. During his Department Head tour, he served as Navigator onboard USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) and USS Tucson (SSN 770), and as Engineer Officer onboard USS Greeneville (SSN 772). Capt. Hale served as Executive Officer onboard USS Nevada (SSBN 733)(Blue Crew), completing three Strategic Deterrent Patrols. He was the Commanding Officer for USS Kentucky (SSBN 737)(Blue Crew). His previous shore duty assignments were at the Office of Naval Intelligence as a Mission Analyst in the Submarine Warfare Operations Research Department (SWORD), at Navy Personnel Command (PERS-42) as the Submarine Department Head Sea Duty Detailer, on the staff of the Director, Strategic Systems Programs in the Operations, Evaluation, and Training Branch (SP205), as a Deputy Commander at both Submarine Squadrons SEVENTEEN and NINETEEN, and on the staff of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet as the Director for Strategic Forces. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the U.S. Naval Academy.