76th commander at NAVOCEANO

SLIDELL, La. - Capt. Ron Piret became the 76th commanding officer of the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) during a ceremony held at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium on Jan. 12. The NAVOCEANO is a multi-mission government agency located at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which conducts oceanographic and hydrographic surveys carried out by six T-AGS 60 class survey ships under the command's technical control. Piret is a graduation of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical oceanography. He earned a master’s in oceanography and meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Among some of his operational duties, Piret served as oceanographer and duty coomand officer in USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72); and commanded Provincial Reconstruction Team Uruzgan, Afghanistan, working with multi-national and inter-agency partners in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. NAVOCEANO is comprised of about 800 military, civilian and contract personnel various platforms, including unmanned underwater vehicles, to collect oceanographic and hydrographic data from the world's oceans. (Source: Naval Oceanographic Office 01/17/18)