CAPT Victor J. Garza

Commanding Officer, USS Antietam (CG 54)

23 August 2023 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 onboard the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) as the main propulsion division officer and as the navigator on the USS Vandegrift (FFG 48). His department head tours were as the operations officer on the USS Decaturr (DDG 73) the main propulsion assistant on the USS Nimitz (CVN 68). He then served as the USS Higgins (DDG 76) Executive Officer, subsequently fleeting up to assume command. Additional sea tours include the reactor officer on the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and commanding officer of the USS Cowpens (CG 63). Garza is currently serving as the commanding officer of the USS Antietam (CG 54).

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 as NROTC UC Berkeley where he also earned a Master's of 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.