New commander takes charge of USS Virginia

GROTON, Conn. (AP) — A new officer has been sworn in as commander of the attack submarine USS Virginia at the Navy base in Groton.

Navy Cmdr. Tim Salter, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., turned over command to Cmdr. Steven Antcliff at the ceremony Friday.

The Virginia was commissioned in 2004 as the first in its class of technologically-advanced attack submarines. It has a crew of 13 officers and 121 enlisted sailors.

The featured speaker at the ceremony was Capt. Michael Bernacchi, the chief of staff for the commander of Submarine Group 2. He called Salter a national hero in bidding his family farewell in the ceremony at the Submarine Force Library and Museum.