USS Anchorage conducts change of command ceremony

by Petty Officer 3rd Class Zachary Costan

03 April 2026
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

Capt. Matthew Ventimiglia was relieved by Capt. Christopher Petro as commanding officer of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23), during a change of command ceremony aboard the ship in San Diego, April 3, 2026.

“I often told my crews, including Anchorage’s commissioning crew, that if we end up being the best crew ever, we will have failed,” said Capt. Brian J. Quin (Ret.), an Anchorage plank owner and ceremony guest. “We should always strive to be the best crew until now. We must set up our reliefs to be better equipped for success."

While in command, Ventimiglia led Anchorage through an extended maintenance period and various training events and was awarded the Legion of Merit for his superior accomplishments. He is currently scheduled to assume the role of commanding officer of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

A native of Gloucester, Massachusetts, Ventimiglia holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University. He completed flight training as an E-2C Hawkeye pilot with Airborne Command & Control Squadron (VAW) 120 in February 2003.

“It’s been quite an adventure ̶ and it’s not just about where you go, but how you get there,” Ventimiglia said. “We have come so far and will go so much further. We will do so because that’s what our nation and families demand of us.”

Petro, a native of Fort Worth, enlisted in the Navy in 1993, completing basic training in Orlando, Florida, before serving as a machinist’s mate. In 1999, he was selected into the Seaman to Admiral program, graduating from the University of San Diego in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He completed Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, in 2003.

“I want to extend my appreciation to the men and women serving on USS Anchorage,” Petro said. “I am excited for the opportunity to serve with you, and I consider myself lucky to be a part of Anchorage.”

Anchorage is homeported in San Diego.

The mission of Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSP) is to man, train, and equip the Surface Force to provide fleet commanders with credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore.

For more news from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/.