New commanding officer for USS Bremerton

Julianne Stanford | Kitsap

The USS Bremerton is getting a new commanding officer almost two months after the submarine's former leader, Capt. Travis Zettel, was relieved for a loss of confidence in his ability to command.

Cmdr. Christopher Lindberg is slated to assume command of the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine on Nov. 27 from Cmdr. David Kaiser, who temporarily stepped into the job until the Navy named a permanent replacement.

Lindberg comes from Naval Submarine Support Command Pearl Harbor, where he served as the commanding officer up until September. He has previously served as the executive officer of the USS Olympia.

Kaiser, a former commanding officer of the USS Dallas, will return to his position as the deputy commander of Submarine Squadron 19.

The incident that prompted Zettel's ousting from command is still currently under investigation, according to Navy officials.

Zettel has been administratively assigned to the staff of Submarine Squadron 19 since he was relieved in August.

He assumed command of the Bremerton in August 2016, during which time the submarine made its final deployment before the end of its active-duty service life.

The Bremerton arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in April to begin the decommissioning, inactivation and recycling process.

At the time, the Bremerton had been the oldest active-duty submarine in the fleet with more than 37 years of service.