KEYPORT — Capt. Doug LaCoste, USN, is the new commanding officer of Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport.
He succeeds Cmdr. Dustin Demorest, who served as interim commanding officer since March and will continue serving as executive officer. The change of command took place April 29.
Capt. Francis Spencer became commanding officer at NUWC Keyport in May 2015 and just a few months later was asked to take the helm of the newly-formed Naval Surface Warfare Center Division, Philadelphia.
“I believe strongly that for a naval officer, the mission and the needs of the Navy must come first,” he said. “Keyport is a fantastic place that I was honored to lead, but when I was asked if I’d be willing to take command at Philadelphia, I said yes.”
Spencer said that he was excited for the challenge of leading NSWCD Philadelphia, but would miss the “friendliness, teamwork, sense of community, and strong dedication to the Navy and the submarine force” exhibited by the Keyport workforce.
In April, Demorest assumed the interim role until LaCoste was in place. “This is a great command,” he said. “The team knows what needs to get done and they make that happen.”
LaCoste is a career submarine officer whose previous assignments included service on the Joint Staff, and management of all in-service aspects of the U.S. Navy undersea weapons program. As commanding officer, LaCoste is the senior military member of NUWC Keyport and is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s climate and operations.
“NUWC Keyport has a strong, positive reputation in the naval community and with our customers. I look forward to working closely with the workforce and enhancing our support of the fleet,” LaCoste said.
NUWC Keyport has provided technical capabilities that support America’s dominance in the undersea domain for more than 100 years. NUWC Keyport is headquartered in Washington state, and has facilities and operations in California, Guam, Hawaii, British Columbia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, and personnel working in several other states and countries.