USS Albuquerque was commanded by 14 officers over her 33-year career. Each CO brought the ship through a distinct chapter — from Cold War North Atlantic patrols to combat Tomahawk strikes in Kosovo, from the fastest refueling overhaul in Navy history to the final deployment in the Indian Ocean.
All 14 names and tenure dates are drawn directly from the official 2017 Decommissioning Program. If you served under one of these officers and want to add memories, photos, or corrections, please reach out through the Crew Portal.
01
⚓
Captain · USN
Richard H. Hartman
May 21, 1983 – Oct 1983
First commanding officer. Presided over commissioning at Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut.
02
⚓
Captain · USN
Scott L. Sears
Oct 1983 – Dec 1986
Commanded during the boat's early Cold War deployments including first North Atlantic patrols.
03
⚓
Captain · USN
John T. Byrd
Dec 3, 1986 – Aug 1989
Commanded during continued North Atlantic operations and late Cold War era patrols.
04
⚓
Commander · USN
James C. Kane
Aug 25, 1989 – May 1992
Commanded through the fall of the Berlin Wall and dissolution of the Soviet Union — the end of the Cold War era.
05
⚓
Commander · USN
Michael R. King
May 29, 1992 – Apr 1995
Commanded during Mediterranean operations including the 1992 deployment with USS John F. Kennedy carrier battle group.
06
⚓
Commander · USN
Leonard A. Zingarelli
Apr 6, 1995 – Jun 1997
Commanded during Exercise Strong Resolve 95 and continued NATO operations in the post-Cold War transition period.
07
⚓
Commander · USN
Stephen G. Gabriele
Jun 24, 1997 – Dec 1, 1999
Commanded during Operation Noble Anvil (1999) — 10 Tomahawk strikes, 100% hit rate, earning USS Albuquerque her Combat Action Ribbon and combat veteran status.
08
⚓
Commander · USN
Jerry K. Burroughs
Dec 1, 1999 – Jun 7, 2002
Took command immediately after Noble Anvil. Led the boat through post-combat operations, hosting dignitaries including former President George H. Bush, and into the start of the Engineered Refueling Overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
09
⚓
Commander · USN
Stuart B. Munsch
Jun 7, 2002 – Jun 27, 2005
Commanded during the record-setting 22.3-month Engineered Refueling Overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard — the fastest and most cost-effective ERO in shipyard history. Returned the boat to operational service in May 2003 and led the first post-shipyard deployment with USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group (Oct 2004–Apr 2005).
10
⚓
Commander · USN
Robert I. Douglass
Jun 27, 2005 – Oct 12, 2007
Commanded during 2006 CENTCOM deployment with the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group and the 2007 SOUTHCOM deployment (Southern Drug Operations) — bridging the boat's Mediterranean/Gulf and Caribbean counter-narcotics missions.
11
⚓
Commander · USN
Michael G. Badorf
Oct 12, 2007 – Jul 23, 2010
Commanded during the 2009 homeport change from Groton, Connecticut to San Diego, California — a strategic shift aligning the boat with the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review's directive to maintain 60% of the submarine force in the Pacific.
12
⚓
Commander · USN
Christopher J. Cavanaugh
Jul 23, 2010 – Aug 23, 2013
Commanded during 2011 Western Pacific deployment — 40,000+ nautical miles with port visits to Brisbane, Australia and Yokosuka, Japan. Participated in exercise Talisman Sabre with the Royal Australian Navy.
13
⚓
Commander · USN
Trenton D. Hesslink
Aug 23, 2013 – Aug 28, 2015
Commanded during the Jan–Aug 2013 Western Pacific deployment — 30,000+ nautical miles with port visits to Yokosuka and Sasebo Japan, Sattahip Thailand, and Saipan. Conducted exercises with Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force and Royal Thai Navy.
14
⚓
Commander · USN
Donald I. Tenney
Aug 28, 2015 – Feb 27, 2017
Final commanding officer. Commanded the 2015 final deployment to the CENTCOM theater (Feb–Aug 2015, 50,000+ nautical miles) with port visits to Garden Island/HMAS Stirling Australia, Duqm Oman, and Diego Garcia. Presided over decommissioning ceremonies at Keyport Undersea Museum, February 27, 2017.