MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Capt. Aaron Stutzman, a native of Acme, Pennsylvania, recently completed his tour as the first commanding officer aboard Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Oklahoma.
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| Capt. Aaron Stutzman (right) recently completed his command tour as the first commanding officer aboard PCU Oklahoma, a future Virginia-class submarine. |
Oklahoma held a change of command ceremony on Nov. 20 at the Vista Point Conference Center on Naval Station Norfolk, where Stutzman turned over command of the future submarine to Cmdr. Jason C. Kim.
“I am proud of my sailors onboard PCU Oklahoma,” Stutzman said. “I was the first commanding officer and they bought into our philosophy, valuing gaining experience at sea to prepare to take Oklahoma to sea in the future. While I won't get to take Oklahoma to sea, my sailors will, and they will be ready.”
Stutzman, a 1999 graduate of Connellsville Area High School, earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Penn State in 2003. While in the Navy, Stutzman earned a master’s in engineering management from Old Dominion University in 2012, a master’s in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in 2016, and a Doctorate of Education in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University in 2024.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Acme.
“I grew up on a small farm in southwestern PA and learned the grit it takes to do the hard jobs,” Stutzman said. “I was able to apply that in my command tour of PCU Oklahoma to build a culture for new submariners that highlighted the importance of a hard work ethic, especially in a shipyard environment for sailors who joined the Navy to see the world. On Oklahoma, we lived by the ‘Code of the West’ and built our homestead.”
Stutzman has served in the Navy for 22 years.
“I joined the Navy because I was inspired by my grandfather's service as an Army radio operator in World War II,” Stutzman said. “I stayed in the Navy and continue to serve because of the people I get to work with every day. Submariners are a very small portion of the Navy and the longer you stay in, the smaller that population gets. It becomes a family.”
Oklahoma is the second Navy vessel and the first submarine named for the Sooner State. The previous USS Oklahoma, a battleship, was sunk by nine torpedoes during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The ship capsized within 15 minutes of the attack, trapping its sailors inside. Thirty-two sailors were rescued after welders on shore jumped onto the upside-down battleship and cut holes in the hull. The bodies of the 429 sailors who were trapped inside the ship were later recovered.
One of the newest of the Navy’s Virginia-class submarines, Oklahoma was designed with stealth and surveillance capabilities, as well as special warfare enhancements, to meet the Navy’s multi-mission requirements. At 377 feet long and 34 feet across at its widest point, Oklahoma is only slightly longer than a football field and is crewed by about 135 enlisted sailors and officers.
Known as America’s “Apex Predators,” the Navy’s submarine force operates a large fleet of technologically advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world, in furtherance of U.S. national security.
There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines, ballistic-missile submarines and guided-missile submarines.
Fast-attack submarines, like Oklahoma, are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare. The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine is the most advanced submarine in the world today. It combines stealth and payload capability to meet Combatant Commanders’ demands in this era of strategic competition.
Strategic deterrence is the nation’s ultimate insurance program, according to Navy officials. As a member of the submarine force, Stutzman is part of the rich 125-year history of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile weapons platform, capable of taking the fight to the enemy in the defense of America and its allies.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Stutzman serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means protecting our American way of life,” Stutzman said. “Providing a future for my family and my children is why I continue to do what I do.”
Stutzman is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank all those in Oklahoma who welcomed us with open arms to build relationships that will last the life of the ship,” Stutzman said. “Especially to the USS Oklahoma Commissioning Committee for stepping up and showing us what the Oklahoma Standard really means.”