Kelechi Ndukwe, a Nigerian-American, on Thursday, assumed his new role as the Commander of USS Halsey (DDG-97), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.
Meanwhile, during the change of command monitored by The Cable, Ndukwe spoke about his birth in the US and how he has built a great career in the navy with the help of colleagues.
Before he took over as the commanding officer from DeVere J. Crooks who had commanded the ship since November 2019, he had been serving as the second-in-command.
As the first Nigerian-American to command the ship, the new role is the zenith of his 18-year career in the US navy which started with him working as an auxiliaries officer in 2003, a year after obtaining a master’s degree in national security and strategy studies from the US Naval War College.
The US Navy in a tweet via its official Twitter handle, congratulated Kelechi.
Ndukwe said he is the oldest of his parent’s four children “but also the smallest”. He talked about how his father and mother migrated to the US from Nigeria in 1977 as“poor college students with hopes and dreams”.
“And now their son is the captain of a US warship. In America, anything is possible. Thank you for your example of hard work and dedication and the foundation you have laid for your children,” he added.
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