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COURTESY U.S. NAVY
Frederick J. Roegge, left, served in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C. Rear Adm. Phillip G. Sawyer will take over as deputy commander and chief of staff at Pacific Fleet.
Rear Adm. Phillip G. Sawyer will turn over duties as commander of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Force to Rear Adm. Frederick J. Roegge on Sept. 3 at the submarine piers on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Sawyer assumed command in August 2013 and ran the daily business of 60 percent of the U.S. submarine force, the Navy said. That included oversight of the Pacific portion of the nation’s ballistic missile submarine force.
The Navy lists 42 submarines in the Pacific, with 20 attack subs at Pearl Harbor; eight ballistic missile subs, two guided missile subs and three attack subs in Bangor, Wash.; five attack submarines in San Diego; and four attack subs in Guam.
The Navy said among Sawyer’s accomplishments, he maintained focus on forward operations and the Pacific rebalance, resulting in the basing of four submarines in Guam.
Sawyer will remain in Hawaii, taking over as deputy commander and chief of staff at Pacific Fleet.
Roegge most recently served as director of the military personnel plans and policy division at the office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C.
The Sept. 3 ceremony’s guest speaker is scheduled to be Adm. Cecil B. Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command. Adm. Scott H. Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, will receive the report of relief.
The sub force said it provides anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; precision land strikes with Tomahawk missiles; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and early warning and special warfare capabilities to U.S. Pacific Command, and strategic deterrence capabilities to U.S. Strategic Command.
