WASHINGTON- Rear Adm. Andrew Biehn relieved Rear Adm. Bill Greene as director for Surface Ship Maintenance, Modernization and Sustainment (SEA 21) during a change of office ceremony held at the Washington Navy Yard’s Leutze Park, June 6.
SEA 21 is comprised of program offices, directorates, and the Surface Ship Maintenance Engineering Planning and Procurement Activity (SURFMEPP), responsible for the lifecycle management for the Navy’s in-service and inactive surface ships through modernization, maintenance, sustainment, training, and inactivation programs.
Acting Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Jim Kilby served as the presiding officer and keynote speaker.
“I have the distinct honor and challenge of summarizing a decades long career, one that has been marked by technical brilliance, servant leadership, and a talent for getting stuff done,” said Kilby. “Thank you for serving our Nation and thank you for leaving our Navy better than you found it.”
From August 2023 to March 2025, Greene served as both the director of SEA 21 and commander for Navy Regional Maintenance Center. During his tenure, Greene oversaw the improvement of surface ship operational readiness through proactive data driven strategies and initiatives.
Greene oversaw the stand up of the Guided Missile Destroyer Modernization 2.0 program office which has been instrumental in providing combat capability enhancements and hull, mechanical and electrical upgrades to in-service Guided Missile Destroyers.
He also supervised the development of a new acquisition and contracting strategy for surface ship maintenance and a new lifecycle maintenance plan for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers—returning additional operational time to the Fleet.
Additionally, he oversaw numerous modernization efforts across all classes of surface warships, implemented mechanisms to improve availability planning milestone adherence, and drove improvements in amphibious warship material procurement.
“I am proud of this SEA 21 team for the critical work they do every day to support the readiness of our surface warships and our Sailors. These dedicated professionals ensure our ships are ready to deploy, operate in combat, and bring our Sailors home safely,” said Greene. “SEA 21 is a key leader among the team-of-teams required to sustain our modern warships.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Greene retired from the Navy after 36 distinguished years of service.
Biehn reports to SEA 21 after most recently serving as director of Development and Integration, for Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems, and as executive assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition.
SEA 21 provides wholeness to the Fleet by serving as the primary technical interface, ensuring surface ships are modernized with the latest technologies and remain mission relevant throughout each ship's service life. The organization also maintains inactive ships for future disposal, donation, or transfer, to include follow-on technical support to our partner navies.
For more on SEA 21, visit: NAVSEA/ SEA 21