Kelechi Ndukwe, a Nigerian-American, has received a prestigious promotion to the rank of captain in the US. Navy, advancing from his previous position as Commander.
He is the first Nigerian national to be given the honor of commanding a US Navy warship.
With over two decades of dedicated service in the US Navy, Ndukwe’s appointment marks the apex of his remarkable career, which began with his role as an auxiliaries officer in 2003, following his graduation from the US Naval War College.
In 2021, Ndukwe took over as the commanding officer of USS Halsey (DDG-97), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
Before he took over from DeVere J. Crooks, who had commanded the ship since November 2019, he had been serving as the second-in-command.
The USS Halsey (DDG 97) is not the first US Navy ship Ndukwe commanded.
From 2013 to 2015, the graduate of chemical engineering was the commanding officer for the USS Devastator (MCM 6), a minesweeper based in Bahrain.
Ndukwe has served in multiple warships in various parts of the world, including the Mediterranean Sea, Horn of Africa, Arabian Gulf, and Western Pacific Ocean.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Kelechi Ndukwe’s diverse naval career has included roles such as Weapons Officer and Combat Systems Officer on the USS Fitzgerald in Yokosuka, Japan (June 2010-December 2011) and Navy Congressional Liaison Officer in Washington, D.C. (July 2006-August 2008).
Ndukwe’s naval career includes serving as Fire Control Officer on the USS Normandy in Norfolk from 2004 to 2006 and auxiliary officer on the USS Thorn, also in Norfolk, from 2003 to 2004.
Ndukwe, a 2002 University of Notre Dame graduate, has also had the distinction of working in the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), the highest-ranking military officer in the US.
Ndukwe is part of a distinguished group of Nigerian-American US naval officers who have excelled in their careers, alongside notable individuals such as Victor Agunbiade, who received accolades for his outstanding performance as a navy reserve supply officer in July 2020, and Beauty McGowan, a decorated sailor who served.
Confirming his promotion, Segun Victor Agunbiade on X (formerly Twitter) @segunvictor73 said: “Ladies and gentlemen, meet the newest US Navy Captain Kelechi Ndukwe.
*The first Nigerian to have a command of US Navy warship! Congratulations on your promotion, Captain! Well deserved!!!”
The chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in her congratulatory message said: “A hearty congratulations to Navy Captain Kelechi R. Ndukwe, who has been promoted to the rank of Navy Captain from Commander, in the US NAVY. He is the first Nigerian American to command a US warship. #ProudlyNigerian.”
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