CAPT Spencer P. Austin

Past Commodore of Commander, Mine Division Twelve (COMMINEDIV 12)

01 April 2021 Capt. Spencer P. Austin is a native of Knotts Island, North Carolina. He earned his commission from North Carolina State University as part of the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) program in July 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.

His sea duty assignments include communications officer and first lieutenant aboard USS Vicksburg (CG 69); navigator aboard USS Taylor (FFG 50); and operations officer aboard USS Benfold (DDG 65). Following his selection for early command, he served as executive officer aboard Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Crew Fearless, embarking aboard USS Chief (MCM 14); fleeting up to commanding officer aboard USS Ardent (MCM 12); and commanding officer aboard USS Pioneer (MCM 9) where he successfully completed several Arabian Gulf deployments and crew swaps. His next afloat tour was as executive officer of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) crews embarked aboard USS Freedom (LCS 1) and USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), completing a deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. He then served as commanding officer aboard USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) and later served as commanding officer aboard USS Wichita (LCS 13). Following this assignment, he served as deputy commodore at Commander, Naval Surface Squadron Five in Bahrain.

Ashore, Austin successfully completed a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He also completed a master’s degree in National Security and strategic studies while attending the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Maritime Advanced Warfighting School at the Naval War College. He served as the Officer Recruiter for Las Vegas as part of Navy Recruiting District, San Diego. He also served as the course coordinator for Surface Warfare Officer School, and as the Deputy Director for Sea Combat Division. Spencer’s most recent assignment was as Commander’s Action Group Director at Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC).

His current assignment is Commodore of Commander, Mine Division Twelve.