Capt. David Hart relieves Capt. Joseph Tuite as commanding officer, Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP), Bath, at Bath Iron Works Friday, March 28. Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath

Capt. David Hart relieved Capt. Joseph Tuite as commanding officer, Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP), Bath, during a ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, March 25.

SUPSHIP Bath oversees the design and construction of five Navy ship classes at private shipyards in Bath, San Diego, California and Marinette, Wisconsin.

As the 32nd commanding officer, Hart reports to SUPSHIP Bath after serving most recently as the program manager for the next generation of guided-missile destroyers.

Hart has served on the guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City and frigate USS Nicholas. Onshore, he has worked in technical and program management posts as far away as Japan and served as the program manager for the advanced Zumwalt-class destroyer program with SUPSHIP in Bath, among other duties.

“Capt. Hart has proven himself to be a talented, knowledgeable and thoughtful leader. One who is ready to take the reins of a complex team like SUPSHIP Bath and continue to deliver ships to the Fleet,” said Vice Admiral William J. Galinis in a press release.

Following the change of command, Galinis presented Tuite with a Legion of Merit Medal for his professional accomplishment since assuming command of SUPSHIP Bath in September 2017.

Tuite is retiring after a 30-year career serving the Navy. As the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, he oversaw the delivery or preliminary acceptance of 13 ships to the Navy.

“Our ships operate in unforgiving environments, and they must be constructed of the highest quality; but they also need to be delivered on budget and on schedule,” said Galinis. “Joe Tuite has developed a solid reputation for bringing a well thought out balance among those three key elements – quality, cost and schedule – during his time in Navy shipbuilding.”