The Navy has removed the top three leaders of its largest overseas ship maintenance facility, marking the second leadership shake-up at the command in less than two years.
Rear Adm. Dan Lannamann, commander of Navy Regional Maintenance Center, relieved Capt. Wendel Penetrante, commanding officer of U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC); Capt. Edwin Catubig, the executive officer; and Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Howell, the command master chief, all on June 3. The Navy said the leaders were removed because of a “loss of confidence in their ability to command” but provided no additional details.
This latest service news comes after Navy Secretary John Phelan lost his job in April, as reports indicated that President Donald Trump wanted a change, citing slow shipbuilding times.
The Navy did not announce whether the removals were tied to misconduct, performance issues or another matter. The service routinely uses the phrase “loss of confidence” when relieving senior leaders but often declines to publicly disclose additional information while reviews or investigations are ongoing.
Capt. John Bauer, supervisor of salvage and diving, has temporarily assumed the duties of commanding officer, according to the Navy,
David Reinhardt, waterfront operations officer, has temporarily assumed the duties of SRF-JRMC executive officer. Master Chief Petty Officer David Marcus, CNRMC command master chief, has temporarily assumed the duties of SRF-JRMC command master chief.
A Critical Hub for 7th Fleet Maintenance
The leadership changes occurred at one of the Navy’s largest maintenance organizations in the Indo-Pacific.
Based in Yokosuka, Japan, SRF-JRMC supports forward-deployed naval forces operating throughout the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility, which includes Japan, Singapore and much of the western Pacific.
The facility performs maintenance, modernization and repair work that allows warships to remain deployed in the region rather than returning to the United States for major repairs.
The command plays a central role in maintaining the readiness of destroyers, amphibious ships, mine countermeasures vessels and other warships operating in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has become a primary focus of U.S. military planning as tensions with China continue to shape defense priorities.
The latest removals follow a similar leadership purge at the same command in October 2024, translating to two commanding officers and two executive officers being relieved at SRF-JRMC since that time.
At that time, the Navy relieved Capt. Zaldy Valenzuela, the commanding officer, and Cmdr. Art Palalay, the executive officer, cited the same loss-of-confidence standard.
Recent Performance Was Highlighted
The removals come just weeks after the Navy publicly praised SRF-JRMC’s maintenance performance.
In May, the command announced it had completed maintenance on the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and returned the ship to operational service on schedule. The Navy said the organization had delivered seven ships to the fleet on time or ahead of schedule during the first four months of 2026, including destroyers, mine countermeasures vessels and an amphibious transport dock.
“Our success this year is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of the ships’ crews, the ship superintendents and their teams, and the entire SRF-JRMC organization,” Penetrante said at the time. “Managing availabilities, with the recent increase in operational tempo, demonstrates their exceptional capability.”
The command described those results as evidence of its role in sustaining combat-ready naval forces in the Indo-Pacific.
The Navy has not yet indicated whether the leadership changes are connected to maintenance operations, management issues, personnel matters or another concern within the command. The service said SRF-JRMC will continue normal operations while replacement leaders are selected.
The service has not announced any additional administrative or disciplinary action related to the command.
Read the full article here
