BATH, Maine — Capt. Joseph Tuite relieved Capt. Michael Taylor as commanding officer, Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP), Bath, during a ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, May 26.
As the 31st commanding officer, Tuite reports to SUPSHIP Bath after serving most recently as the commanding officer of SUPSHIP Gulf Coast. Over the course of his 25-year career, his other assignments include Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Amphibious Warfare Program Office, and U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters. He also served aboard USS Jouett (CG 29) and USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49). He is a 1992 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering. Tuite obtained a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School in 1999.
“Capt. Tuite, congratulations on being selected and assuming commanding officer duties in your second major command. You are well-positioned to pick up where Capt. Taylor has left off,” said Rear Adm. James Downey, commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center and Naval Sea Systems Command deputy commander for surface warfare, during the event’s keynote address. “Your work here matters. It matters to our Sailors and it matters to the people here in Bath, across our country, and across the globe as you produce the most capable warships in the world.”
Following the change of command, Downey presented Taylor with a Legion of Merit Medal for his professional accomplishment since assuming command of SUPSHIP Bath in September 2014.
Taylor has been designated as the program manager for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program Office (PMS 501), a position he will assume in August. As the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, he oversaw the delivery of seven ships to the Navy: USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000); the future USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115); USS Milwaukee (LCS 5); USS Detroit (LCS 7); USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3); R/V Neil Armstrong (AGOR 27); and R/V Sally Ride (AGOR 28).
“Mike, as the 30th Commander of SUPSHIP Bath, you have been a mission critical leader impacting our Navy’s current and future readiness,” said Downey. He commended Taylor by adding, “look at all of the ships being constructed throughout this shipyard. From the sections of steel in the Ultra Hull to the ships sitting in the water around us... those future ships and teaming with industry are Capt. Taylor’s legacy.”
SUPSHIP Bath is a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command. SUPSHIP Bath oversees the design and construction of five Navy ship classes at private shipyards in Bath, Maine; San Diego, California; and Marinette, Wisconsin.
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