CDR Matthew C. Kenfield

Past Executive Officer, USS Port Royal (CG 73)

11 June 2021 A native of Denver, Colorado, Commander Kenfield is a 2006 graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he earned his commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps.
 
At sea, Commander Kenfield served as a Division Officer in USS RODNEY M. DAVIS (FFG 60) where he was assigned as Electrical Officer, Damage Control Assistant, and Main Propulsion Division Officer during his 36-month tour.  Onboard DAVIS, he completed two deployments to the FOURTH FLEET AOR.  CDR Kenfield completed his first Department Head tour as Chief Engineer in USS O’KANE (DDG 77).  During that tour he gained valuable operational experience in the Persian Gulf as a TAO and completed an eleven-month DSRA with PHNSY and a successful Light-Off Assessment.  His second Department Head tour was as Combat Systems Officer, N8, in DESRON 31 where he deployed as embarked staff for PACSAGs I and II, operating in the C7F AOR under the tactical command of C3F forward.
 
Ashore, CDR Kenfield studied Systems Engineering Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California from June 2009 to June 2011.  He then proceeded to the United Kingdom to serve as a Divisional Officer and US Navy Liaison Officer in Britannia Royal Naval College, in Dartmouth, England, as part of the Personnel Exchange Program, Europe from July 2011 to July 2013.  At the Royal Naval College, CDR Kenfield gained valuable experience working with NATO forces while training future officers of the Royal Navy, including embarking HMS ILLUSTRIOUS for three months of at-sea training with his cadets. As a post-Department Head, CDR Kenfield served as Integrated Air and Missile Defense Department Head (N85), Director of Training (N7), and Executive Officer for Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific from 2017 - 2020. He also served as Ballistic Missile Defense Senior Assessor for ATG Pacific Basic Phase BMD Qualifications onboard all BMD capable surface ships in the PACFLT AOR.
 
Commander Kenfield holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a Master of Science degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, and his JPME Phase I certificate from the Naval War College. His personal decorations include: Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4 awards), Army Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.