David Kern, an officer of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, was the first commanding officer of USS ''Virginia'' (SSN-774). Kern earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

and was commissioned in May 1981. Upon completion of nuclear power training and Naval Submarine School, he reported to USS ''Honolulu'' (SSN-718), homeported in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. He supported deployed ships in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

and served as Chemistry and Radiological Assistant and Communicator until the ship was delivered to the Pacific Fleet in 1986. Captain Kern then reported to the Naval Postgraduate School at

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

, and earned a Master's degree in national security affairs. Captain Kern served as Combat Systems Officer on USS ''Newport News'' (SSN-750) and in 1990 received the Stephen Decatur Award for Operational Excellence from the Navy League of the United States. In 1990, he reported aboard USS ''Cincinnati'' (SSN-693) as Engineer Officer and deployed to the North Atlantic. In 1992, Captain Kern served as a junior member on the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U. S. Atlantic Fleet. Captain Kern reported as Executive Officer on USS ''Nebraska'' (SSBN-739 Gold) in 1995 and conducted four strategic deterrent patrols. During his tour, ''Nebraskas crew earned the Submarine Squadron Twenty Battle "E" Award, the United States Strategic Command's Omaha Trophy, and a

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...

. In 1997, Captain Kern was assigned to the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

Staff in the Directorate for Submarine Warfare. In June 1999, Captain Kern took command of USS ''San Francisco'' (SSN-711), homeported in

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

. Under his leadership, ''San Francisco'' was awarded a Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation, two consecutive Fleet Golden Anchor Awards, and completed an Engineered

Refueling Overhaul In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul (ROH) refers to a lengthy refitting process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance fix- ...

three months ahead of schedule. Captain Kern assumed command of Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) ''Virginia'' in August 2002. He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), the Navy Commendation Medal (four awards), the Navy Achievement Medal, and various other unit awards.

References

This article was initially based on the official biography published by Commander, Submarine Forces, Atlantic Fleet: https://web.archive.org/web/20041024143027/http://www.sublant.navy.mil/774co.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Kern, David J. Year of birth missing (living people) Living people United States Naval Academy alumni United States submarine commanders Naval Postgraduate School alumni