CAPT Victor J. Garza

Commanding Officer, USS Cowpens (CG 63)

17 August 2022 CAPT Victor Garza, a native of Gilroy, California, graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering in 1997 and commissioned at Officer Candidate School in 1999. 

CAPT Garza’s sea tours include division officer assignments in USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) as Main Propulsion Division Officer and USS VANDEGRIFT (FFG 48) as Navigator.  His Department Head tours were in USS DECATUR (DDG 73) as Operations Officer, and USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) as Main Propulsion Assistant.  He was Executive Officer and fleeted up to command USS Higgins (DDG 76).  His most recent sea tour was as the USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) Reactor Officer.

CAPT Garza’s post department head shore tours were on the OPNAV staff as the Navy Surface Guns and Ammunition Action Officer and as the Executive Officer of Navy Propulsion Training Unit, Charleston.  As a post division officer, he served at NROTC UC Berkeley where he also earned a Master's in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. 

His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal (five awards), Navy Achievement Medal (two awards), and various unit citations.