The Navy relieved the commanding officer of the USS Wyoming’s blue crew on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
Submarine Group 10 commander Rear Adm. Bob Wirth reportedly said in a Navy release that the service relieved Cmdr. Robert Moreno due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command the blue crew, which is one of a submarine’s two distinct crews.
“Navy commanding officers are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct,” the release said, according to USNI News. “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.”
The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
The USS Wyoming, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, was commissioned in July 1996 and is ported in Kings Bay, Ga., according to its website. The Navy release reportedly said that the vessel is undergoing maintenance.
According to USNI News, Moreno took command of the submarine’s blue crew in May 2024 and has been temporarily reassigned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in southeast Georgia. Moreno commissioned as an officer in December 2005 and has since served aboard the USS Pennsylvania, USS Dallas and USS North Carolina.
The release said that Capt. David Burke will assume temporary responsibility for the crew in place of Moreno, the Navy Times reported.
Last month, the Navy relieved the commanding officer of the USS Santa Barbara’s blue crew, also citing a loss of confidence. The submarine is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of operations in the Middle East.
