CHANGE OF COMMAND

at which

COMMANDER DOUGLAS E. WRIGHT
UNITED STATES NAVY

will be relived by

COMMANDER WILLIAM A. SCHWALM
UNITED STATES NAVY

as

COMMANDING OFFICER
USS HELENA (SSN 725)

Page 1
Inside front cover





CHANGE OF COMMAND

"The Tradition"



The tradition you are witnessing today is an honored product of 

the rich heritage of Naval tradition. Custom has established that this 

ceremony be formal and impressive - designed to strengthen that 

respect for authority vital to any military organization.

Parading all hands at quarters and public reading of official

orders stems from those days when movement of mail and persons

was a very slow process. This procedure was designed to insure that

only authorized officers held command and that all aboard were

aware of its authenticity.

The heart of the ceremony is the formal reading of official orders,

by the relieving officer and the officer being relieved. Command

passes upon the utterance by the relieving officer, "I relieve you, sir."

and the officer being relieved responding, "I stand relieved."

Following this exchange, the commissioning pennant, which

dates from the word "pennon" used by every noble family of the

Middle Ages and represents the personal insignia of the officer

appointed to command, is presented to the officer relieved.

The change of command is unique in the world today, in that it is

the transfer of total responsibility, authority, and accountability from

one individual to another.

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Command at Sea
THE PRESTIGE, PRIVILEGE, AND BURDEN

OF COMMAND







Only a seaman realizes to what extent an entire ship reflects the 

personality and ability of one individual, her Commanding Officer. To a 

landsman this is not understandable and sometimes it is even difficult 

for us to comprehend, but it is so.

A ship at sea is a distant world in herself and in consideration of the 

protracted and distant operations of the fleet units the Navy must place 

great power, responsibility and trust in the hands of those leaders chosen 

for command

In each ship there is one man who, in the hour of emergency or peril 

at sea, can turn to no other man. "There is one who alone is ultimately 

responsible for the safe navigation, engineering performance. accurate 

gun-firing, and morale of his ship. He is the Commanding Officer. He is the ship.

This is the most difficult and demanding assignment in the Navy. 

There is not an instant during his tour of duty as Commanding Officer 

that he can escape the grasp of command responsibility. His privileges in 

view of his obligations are most ludicrously small; nevertheless 

command is the spur which has given the Navy its greatest leaders.

It is duty which richly deserves the highest, time-honored title of 

the seafaring world - "CAPTAIN".

Joseph Conrad
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USS HELENA (SSN 725)

COMMANDING OFFICERS



CDR T. MOORE



CDR G. E. VOELKER



CDR D. A. DUFFIE



CDR D. H. THIEMAN



CDR W. G. TIMME



CDR D. S. PRINCE



CDR T. C. BERTCH



CDR D. E. WRIGHT

July 1987



November 1987



August 1990



July 1992



March 1995



April 1998



November 2000



December 2003

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November 1987



August 1990



July 1992



March 1995



April 1998



November 2000



December 2003



June 2006
 



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