From Lt. Cmdr. Josh Martin, Commander, Submarine Development Squadron 5

Commander, Submarine Development Squadron (DEVRON) 5, held a change of command ceremony on Naval Base Kitsap – Bangor on June 30.

Capt. Keith Floyd from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, relieved Capt. Gary Montalvo, from Santurce, Puerto Rico, as commander during a ceremony held on the newly constructed Olympic Pier – the new home of Seawolf-class fast-attack submarines.

Rear Adm. Robert Gaucher, Director of Strategic Integration in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, officiated the ceremony. He praised Montalvo’s leadership and dedication to the DEVRON mission areas.

“DEVRON FIVE is a unique squadron. It brings with it an entirely different portfolio than any other squadron in the Submarine Force. Captain Gary Montalvo has had a phenomenal tour leading DEVRON FIVE, as well as leading in the community,” said Gaucher.

“Looking to the future, I welcome Commodore Keith Floyd and his family to DEVRON FIVE. I am excited to follow your successes in the years to come. His experience as a former commanding officer of USS Jimmy Carter will prove invaluable as he continues to advance our Navy’s undersea combat portfolio through advanced research and development in the areas of special warfare, mine warfare, and undersea tactical reconnaissance.”

After assuming command of DEVRON 5 May 21, 2021, Montalvo led the squadron through many significant projects including the completion of the Olympic Pier extension, which shifted the homeport for the Seawolf-class fast-attack submarines to Naval Base Kitsap – Bangor in late 2022; and overseeing the transition of Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron (UUVRON) 1 from a DEVRON detachment to a submarine force major command.

His guidance and foresight led to USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23) returning to operational capability and USS Seawolf (SSN 21) completing two deployments in the U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleet areas of operations.

His tour culminated with the establishment of a new command in Detachment Bravo – a new unit responsible for research, development, test and evaluation to conduct reconnaissance and battle space preparations using advanced technology.

“Serving as commodore has been my most rewarding tour of duty to date. From the completion of the Olympic Pier, to all of the successful missions of our detachments and submarines, the DEVRON team professionally answered our nation’s call day in and day out,” said Montalvo. “My most rewarding experience was the honor of working alongside each and every one of you. You are the epitome of ‘undersea dominance,’ and I look forward to seeing your future successes.”

Montalvo’s next assignment will be in Washington, D.C., in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Incoming commander Floyd expressed his enthusiasm in taking the helm of DESRON 5.

“I’m excited to be back in the DEVRON family,” said Floyd. “I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as commodore and to work alongside this elite team of submarine professionals.”

Floyd comes from Washington, D.C., where he served as a strategic and program analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation.

DEVRON 5 conducts cooperative programs with civilian scientific and academic institutions in pursuit of national science objectives and is responsible within the Navy’s submarine force for tactical development, including unmanned undersea vehicles and naval special warfare.