COMNAVSURFPAC

• Establishment: Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMNAVSURFPAC) was established in March 1975 to unify command and control over surface ships in the Pacific Fleet. • Headquarters: COMNAVSURFPAC is headquartered at Naval Base San Diego, California, overseeing more than 70 ships and 30,000 personnel. • Vietnam War Legacy: The roots of COMNAVSURFPAC trace back to the cruisers and destroyers that played a major role in naval gunfire support and coastal patrols during the Vietnam War. • Size and Scope: It is the largest type command in the U.S. Navy, responsible for all surface ships in the Pacific Fleet, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, littoral combat ships, and amphibious ships. • Operation Desert Storm: During the Gulf War in 1991, COMNAVSURFPAC units participated in Tomahawk missile strikes and sea control operations in the Persian Gulf. • First Female Commander: In 2020, Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener assumed command, but the unit made history in 2022 when Rear Adm. Yvette M. Davids became the first woman to serve as a surface group commander under COMNAVSURFPAC. • Innovations: COMNAVSURFPAC led the integration of new technologies, such as the Aegis Combat System and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), into surface warfare. • Humanitarian Missions: Ships under COMNAVSURFPAC frequently participate in humanitarian missions, including tsunami relief in Southeast Asia (2004) and earthquake relief in Japan (2011). • Partnerships: COMNAVSURFPAC regularly conducts joint exercises with allied navies, such as RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. • Motto and Ethos: The command’s motto, “Ready, Relevant, and Sustainable,” reflects its emphasis on combat readiness, modernization, and support for the Navy’s evolving missions in the Indo-Pacific region.