YOKOSUKA, Japan -- Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) welcomed the 38th commanding officer during a change of command ceremony at the base auditorium, July 9.

Capt. Jeffrey J. Kim was relieved by Capt. Rich Jarrett as the commanding officer of CFAY during a ceremony that was attended by more than 350 U.S. military members, Japan Maritime and Ground Self Defense Force personnel, Japanese and American civilian employees, and local Japanese government officials.

The guest speaker, Commander, U. S. Naval Forces Japan/Navy Region Japan (CNFJ/CNRJ) Rear Adm. Gregory J. Fenton, thanked Kim for a job well done and extended that gratitude to everyone on the CFAY team.

“I know that Captain Kim would be the first to give credit for his accomplishments over the last three years to the Sailors who keep the base running, but I can avow that his leadership enabled this first-class team to excel,” said Fenton.

“All this is to say, Captain Jarrett, you have big shoes to fill – but I know you are up to the task.”

Kim’s next assignment will be as a student at the National Institute of Defense Studies (NDIS). NIDS is the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s core policy research arm, conducting research and studies with a policy orientation primarily on security and military history, while also serving as a strategic college-level educational institution for the training of high-level officers of the Self-Defense Forces.

“I was proud to serve with this team in our primary mission of ‘Service to the Fleet,’” said Kim. “Only here in Yokosuka are the ships of a carrier strike group expected to be ready to go into harm’s way, immediately upon departure from homeport, mere hours after crews say goodbye to their family and loved ones. There is nothing like it elsewhere in the Navy – and the defense of freedom in the Indo-Pacific depends on this.”

Following Kim’s speech and the reading of Chief of Naval Personnel transfer orders for both captains, Jarrett formally relieved Kim as CFAY’s commanding officer.

“It is a great thrill to be back on the waterfront, breathing the salt air, watching our great ships sail out of the harbor,” said Jarrett. “Two years ago, I reached out to the detailers in Millington (Tennessee) and let them know that Fleet Activities Yokosuka was at the top of my list for duty, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Fleet and its forward-deployed forces in the Navy’s most challenging AOR.”

Jarrett, a native of Charleston, West Virginia, graduated from United States Naval Academy in 1996, and completed his graduate education at West Virginia University; additionally, he is a graduate of the United States Naval War College and National War College.

His tours include: at sea, USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), USS Ross (DDG 71), USS Freedom (LCS 1) and USS Fort Worth (LCS 3); ashore, Surface Warfare Officers School, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and he transferred from a position as the U.S. Fleet Forces Command Liaison Officer in Washington, D.C., to assume the role of CFAY’s commanding officer.

CFAY provides, maintains, and operates base facilities and services in support of 7th Fleet’s forward-deployed naval forces, 71 tenant commands, and more than 27,000 military and civilian personnel and their families.