Undersea Warfighting Development Center Welcomes New Commander

The Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC) held a change of command ceremony June 18 at Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Connecticut.

Rear Adm. Richard Seif relieved Rear Adm. Leonard Dollaga as the commander of UWDC, a command tasked with enhancing undersea warfighting capabilities and readiness across the theater, operational and tactical levels of war.

Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, Submarine Force Atlantic, praised Dollaga’s leadership and said no command has a more diverse portfolio than UWDC.

“From Fleet Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare certification, to our bi-annual Ice Exercise operations in the Arctic, to tactical development exercises and publication updates, to being the Navy’s warfighting leader in the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, UWDC has thrived under Rear Adm. Dollaga’s leadership,” Caudle said. “He leaves behind a solid foundation for Rear Adm. Seif to build upon.”

Dollaga, who departs to become commander, Submarine Group 7 in Yokosuka, Japan, said he is highly impressed with the professional service and dedication by every member of UWDC.

“It has been my honor and privilege to lead UWDC, and I am proud that we continually sharpened our steel to maintain our nation’s undersea superiority,” Dollaga said. “My family is pleased to welcome the Seifs to Team Groton! I have known Rear Adm. Seif for over a decade, and he is superbly prepared to take command and lead UWDC in an era of Great Power Competition.”

Seif takes command after most recently serving as chief of staff to Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, deputy commander for Task Force One Four/Three Four and Task Group 114.3, U.S. Strategic Command, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A 1992 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he has served aboard five nuclear fast attack submarines, including as commanding officer of USS Buffalo (SSN 715) and USS Jacksonville (SSN 699).

A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, Seif said he is honored to take command of the Navy’s flagship institution for undersea tactical development, warfighting doctrine and integration.

“The undersea enterprise plays a critical role in our nation’s joint warfighting readiness,” he said. “To the Sailors and civilians of UWDC, know that the work you do around the world is key to maintaining our asymmetric advantage and readiness for combat.”

The UWDC mission is to lead undersea superiority, enabling decisive effects from or in the undersea domain when and where the operational commander directs. Based in Groton, it also has detachments in Norfolk and San Diego.