Captain Kenneth Long Commodore
CAPT Ken Long graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
His first assignment was in USS W.S. SIMS (FF 1059) as Gunnery Officer. Subsequent sea duty assignments included Gunnery Officer and Main Propulsion Assistant in USS PHILIPPINE SEA (CG 58) and Chief Engineer in both USS HARRY W. HILL (DD 986) and USS ANZIO (CG 68). During four deployments, he conducted operations in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and Western Pacific Ocean. He then went on to Command USS RAVEN (MHC 61), forward deployed to Bahrain. While assigned, he completed mine clearance operations in Iraq’s Khawr Abd Allah waterway during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. From Dec 2007 to Jun 2009, he served as Commanding Officer of USS NITZE (DDG 94) where he deployed to the FIFTH Fleet as part of the THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group. Most recently, he served as the Deputy Commander of Destroyer Squadron TWENTY TWO for 16 months prior to assuming Command of the Squadron in May 2013.
Tours ashore included COMUSNAVCENT/COMFIFTHFLT as Force/Fleet Scheduling Officer and Navy Personnel Command as PERS-411 LCDR/CDR Assignments. His latest tour ashore was in US Joint Forces Command where he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and also as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commander. He earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
Personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 gold stars), Navy Commendation Medal (2 gold stars), Navy Achievement Medal (3 gold stars) and the Combat Action Ribbon.