Capt. Patrick McKenna, commanding officer of NIWC Pacific, presided over the event, praising Culwell for his dedicated leadership and his team for their exceptional support for the information warfare mission.

Culwell led the detachment of more than 1,200 employees, engineers, and technicians in planning, installing, and testing systems for information warfare by deploying communications and information technologies aboard ships, submarines, and shore facilities. He led the delivery of more than $50 million of essential warfighting systems and managed $6 million in military construction projects across the Western Pacific.

“Cmdr. Culwell and his entire team have risen to every challenge, adapting, improvising, and overcoming at every turn,” said NIWC Pacific Executive Director Michael McMillan.

Maas, who previously served as the first waterfront coordinator for USS District of Columbia (SSBN 826) at the Supervisor of Shipbuilding Groton, now brings his expertise to NIWC Pacific.

“I am truly humbled to become the 25th officer in charge of NIWC Pacific Guam, and I am honored and excited to join an outstanding team of professionals in this critical mission during this pivotal time,” said Mass immediately before he assumed command.

NIWC Pacific’s mission is to conduct research, development, engineering, and support of integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber, and space systems across all warfighting domains. It also rapidly prototypes, conducts tests and evaluations, and provides acquisition, installation, and in-service engineering support.