Capt. Christopher K. Matassa relieved Capt. Matthew L. Tardy during a change of command ceremony at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in West Bethesda, Maryland, July 17, 2024.
Carderock’s outgoing commanding officer, Tardy, and Rear Adm. Todd Evans, Commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center/Naval Undersea Warfare Center, welcomed Matassa into the new position at Carderock’s Raye Montague Center for Maritime Technology.
“In spite of the turmoil created by these unprecedented times, our Navy’s mission continues uninterrupted,” Evans said. “We have been very fortunate to have had leaders like Matt at the helm. Throughout his command tour here, he has displayed exemplary leadership and superb foresight as he has seized several opportunities to steer a high visibility organization of thousands of employees through significant and dynamic changes while fulfilling our Navy’s mission.”
Before passing the baton to Matassa, Tardy reflected on his time in West Bethesda and thanked the Division’s personnel for their dedication to the Carderock mission.
“We’ve accomplished so much, but there is always more to do,” Tardy said. “The world is unpredictable, and we’re doing the right things here at Carderock to support our fleets. Thank you for your dedication and service. The team is getting an amazing leader in Chris. Stay focused, stay positive and keep on executing.”
Tardy assumed command at Carderock on May 12, 2023. One of his first experiences as commanding officer included the International Human-Powered Submarine Races (ISR), a biennial Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) event held at the Division’s David Taylor Model Basin. The 2023 ISR was the first in-person event to occur at West Bethesda since the COVID pandemic. Since then, Tardy has been a loud advocate for the Division’s STEM and Outreach Program.
In his closing remarks, Tardy said he takes pride in all of the accomplishments the workforce achieved during his tenure.
“I’m proud of our advancements in warfighting readiness, establishing a crisis response center and a watch bill,” he said “To do this, you must have great people leading the way. What really made these programs function were the selfless volunteers who stepped up to make this work.”
Tardy was awarded the Legion of Merit for his superior accomplishments, and departed Carderock to replace former Carderock commanding officer Capt. Cedric McNeal at the Navy’s Amphibious Warfare Program Office (PMS 377).
Matassa joins the Division as a decorated naval officer. For the past several years, he has served at the Pentagon, working in the Chief of Naval Operations Surface Warfare Division (OPNAV N96) as a Future Ships Requirement Officer.
“I’m grateful and humbled by this opportunity.” Matassa said. “I keep thinking to myself ‘Wow! This place is so cool.’ The facilities and technologies here are so unique, truly unlike anything in the world. I am excited to take command at Carderock, and I cannot wait to advance American sea models at a critical time for our national security.”
Matassa most recently served as the Chief of Staff for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Ship Programs before assuming command as Carderock’s 41st Commanding Officer.
Carderock is one of the Navy’s pre-eminent research and development facilities that specializes in critical ship design components headquartered in West Bethesda, Maryland. The Carderock Division supports small-scale model testing and evaluation of next-generation surface ships and underwater vessels. The three foci components of Carderock are: Platform Integrity, Signatures and Naval Architecture and Engineering. Carderock, a Naval Surface Warfare Center and a major component and field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command, is “Where the Fleet Beings,” and is comprised of state-of-art, world-class facilities found nowhere else on earth, including the David Taylor Model Basin and the Maneuvering and Seakeeping Basin, as well as support research detachments in Bayview, Idaho, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Ketchikan, Alaska, Memphis, Tennessee, Norfolk, Virginia, Titusville, Florida, and Silverdale, Washington.
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/CarderockDivision or https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Carderock/.