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KITTERY, Maine – Cmdr. Robert Lane turned over command of the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Greeneville to Cmdr. Chad Tella in a traditional change of command ceremony held at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.

The ceremony was presided over by Capt. Daniel Reiss, commander of Submarine Squadron Two, the parent command of all PNSY units.

Lane praised the crew for their hard work and dedication during what he called a “challenging yard period.”

“We tested this crew’s resolve in ways we never could have expected,” said Lane, a Huffman, Texas native and graduate of the University of Houston. “Still, the crew of Greeneville rolled up their sleeves and got the job done.”

“Shipyard life is not the most glamorous of tours, but it is important nonetheless,” Lane added. “This crew and shipyard workers have inspired me over the last three years. I have no doubt they will finish the job, under Cmdr. Tella’s leadership, and return the ship to the fleet stronger, tougher, and better than ever before.”

Lane, a prior-enlisted electrician before commissioning in 2001, climbed the ranks through the submarine nuclear power pipeline and his previous tours include the USS Jefferson City, USS Maryland and USS La Jolla (SSN 701).

Tella also spoke during the ceremony praising his predecessor and the crew expressing his anticipation and excitement to get the boat back out to sea during his tenure.

Tella, a Plano, Texas native and graduate of Pennsylvania State University, previously served as executive officer of the USS Ashville. He also served on the USS Cheyenne and USS Santa Fe.

Greeneville, commissioned in 1996, is the 61st and penultimate Los Angeles-class submarine and the only vessel in U.S. Navy history to be named after Greeneville, Tennessee. The submarine has a crew of more than 110 personnel, is more than 362 feet long, and can displace nearly 7,000 tons.

The Los Angeles-class, sometimes called the LA-class or the 688-class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s submarine force.