Rear Adm. Gerald Talbot, commander of Submarine Group 10, pins the Legion of Merit (gold star for his third award) onto the lapel of Commodore Al Hochevar, prior to Hochevar relinquishing command of Submarine Squadron 20 to Capt. Tim Lindstrom. Photo by JO3 Dan Zanchi

Change of Command
Squadron 20 welcomes new leader

By JO3 Dan Zanchi
Periscope Staff

Recently, Submarine Squadron 20 underwent a changing of the guard when their longstanding leader, Capt. Al Hochevar, passed command onto Capt. Timothy Lindstrom.

Hochevar's Navy career began after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1977. His wealth of experiences in his more than 20 years of service proved beneficial while in command of Submarine Squadron 20.

''Al Hochevar is, first and foremost, a naval officer and is clearly one of the finest operational leaders in our Navy,'' said Rear Adm. Gerald Talbot, commander of Submarine Group 10 and the change of command ceremony's guest speaker. ''His energy, professional skill and ability to foster improvement were most evident in the outstanding readiness of Atlantic Fleet Trident SSBNs in their support of national strategic tasking.''

According to Talbot, Hochevar proved to be a trainer and mentor to all of the squadron's commanding officers, thus improving his unit's combat readiness and proficiency.

''It showed,'' said Talbot. ''He improved overall navigation performance by 25 percent, with 20 percent of his crews evaluated as 'excellent' by the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board.

Because of Hochevar's dedication and planning, Squadron 20's submarines now use portable atmosphere-monitoring equipment that will save $1.2 million dollars for the submarine force.

''He pioneered the crew self-assessment performance process, as well as the effort to train crews at Trident Refit Facility or on other submarines, enhancing training effectiveness and making it fun,'' continued Talbot.

More than just making work enjoyable, Hochevar's tour was defined by his dedication to the job.

Capt. Lindstrom marches through the sideboys at the end of the ceremony, shortly after assuming command of Submarine Squadron 20 from Capt. Hochevar. Photo by JO3 Dan Zanchi

''Al's tour has been characterized by superior leadership, professional excellence, innovation and success. He has never lost sight of the fact that, no matter how much wisdom, knowledge, technology and farsightedness we possess, we can not lead alone,'' Talbot said.

Hochevar described the occasion as being bittersweet, and explained how his tour went at Squadron 20.

''When I got the orders, I didn't even know where Squadron 20 was located or what it did,'' Hochevar said. ''But I couldn't have been more blessed. My tour was fun, exciting and interesting.''

Hochevar said he was honored and blessed to work with a superb group of commanding officers.

''I would have been proud to serve with any of you - at any place and anytime,'' he said.

After a three-year tour in Washington D.C., Capt. Lindstrom returns to Kings Bay to fill Hochevar's shoes.

''I am very happy to be back here,'' Lindstrom said. ''After three years in D.C., it's great to be back.''

Lindstrom looks forward to the task at hand of leading Squadron 20, and Adm. Talbot looks forward to having his leadership.

''I know you, Cynthia and your family will fit right into this wonderful, supportive community,'' Talbot said.