NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — When Captain Hannah A. Kriewaldt departed St. Joseph, Missouri, in the summer of 1995 for the brick courtyards of the United States Naval Academy, she could not have imagined that 27 years later she would stand on the James River waterfront responsible for the construction and modernization of the world’s most powerful nuclear-powered warships.
Surrounded by shipbuilders, senior Navy flag officers, Sailors, civilian engineers, and family, Kriewaldt completed her final naval watch. In a dual ceremony combining the time-honored naval change of command and formal retirement, Kriewaldt officially relinquished command of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (SUPSHIP), Newport News, bringing to a close an extraordinary career dedicated to the fleet and the warfighter.
The transfer of command was formally executed when Kriewaldt read her official detachment orders before turning over the helm to her relief, Capt. Michael A. Sammataro…