US Navy relieves another commanding officer, this time USS Wyoming’s Cmdr. Moreno, over ‘loss of confidence’

The US Navy relieved Cmdr. Robert Moreno, commanding officer of the USS Wyoming submarine Blue Crew, from his duties, citing a loss of confidence in his ability to command, on Wednesday, October 8. Rear Adm. Bob Wirth, commander of Submarine Group Ten, made the decision, according to a Navy statement quoted by USNI News. “Navy commanding officers are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct,” the release said. “They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability, and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards.”

Capt. David Burke, deputy for training at Submarine Squadron 20, has temporarily taken command of the Wyoming in Moreno’s absence, Navy Times reported. The Wyoming, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine homeported in Kings Bay, Georgia, is currently undergoing maintenance and will not be affected by the change in leadership, the Navy stated.

About Cmdr. Robert Moreno

Moreno, commissioned in 2005, assumed command of the Wyoming in May last year, presiding over Cmdr. Steven Dykstra, as per a DVIDSHUB report from 2014. He has been temporarily reassigned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. Before joining the Wyoming, Moreno served as Commander of the Joint Force Maritime Component and Commander of the Submarine Force Atlantic, both based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Past removal of US Navy commanders

Earlier this year, on February 20, the Navy relieved Capt. Dave Snowden of command of the USS Harry S. Truman due to a loss of confidence after the carrier collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt. In 2023, the Navy fired more than a dozen commanding officers from their posts, as per a report by americangrit in 2024.