Capt. Hannah Kriewaldt Retires After 27 Distinguished Years Building and Delivering the Navy’s Fleet

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (September 18, 2026) — When Captain Hannah A. Kriewaldt departed St. Joseph, Missouri, in the summer of 1995 for the brick courtyards of the United States Naval Academy, she could not have imagined that 27 years later she would stand on the James River waterfront responsible for the construction and modernization of the world’s most powerful nuclear-powered warships.

Surrounded by shipbuilders, senior Navy flag officers, Sailors, civilian engineers, and family, Kriewaldt completed her final naval watch. In a dual ceremony combining the time-honored naval change of command and formal retirement, Kriewaldt officially relinquished command of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (SUPSHIP), Newport News, bringing to a close an extraordinary career dedicated to the fleet and the warfighter.

The transfer of command was formally executed when Kriewaldt read her official detachment orders before turning over the helm to her relief, Capt. Michael A. Sammataro.

Rear Adm. Casey Moton, Portfolio Acquisition Executive Maritime for Aircraft Carriers, presented Kriewaldt with her second award of the Legion of Merit, recognizing her visionary leadership and lasting contributions to naval readiness. Rear Adm. Dianna Wolfson, Director of Fleet Maintenance for U.S. Fleet Forces Command, delivered the retirement address, honoring Kriewaldt’s operational toughness, engineering brilliance, and compassionate mentorship.

A Career Forged at Sea and on the Waterfront

Kriewaldt graduated and earned her commission from Annapolis in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography. Demonstrating the intellectual curiosity and technical rigor that would define her career, she went on to earn a Master of Science in Engineering Acoustics from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Her career began where all naval leaders cut their teeth: forward deployed at sea. She earned her Surface Warfare Officer qualification aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) out of Mayport, Florida, and the Spruance-class destroyer USS O’Brien (DD 975) homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

Recognizing her innate technical aptitude and operational insight, the Navy selected Kriewaldt for the Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) community, the service’s elite cadre of uniformed engineers and acquisition leaders who design, build, and maintain the combat ships of the fleet.

What followed was a progression through the Navy's most critical industrial and technical milestones. Her waterfront expertise deepened during assignments at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and on the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic. Answering the call for global operations, she deployed as an individual augmentee to Djibouti supporting Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa.

Yet it was her leadership aboard the nation’s nuclear aircraft carriers where Kriewaldt truly made naval history. She was hand-picked to serve as Chief Engineer ("CHENG") aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), leading hundreds of Sailors and technical specialists.

Leading at the Point of the Spear: Four Years at SUPSHIP Newport News

In June 2022, Kriewaldt assumed command of SUPSHIP Newport News. Leading a command comprised of more than 600 Navy civilian and military personnel, she stood as the Navy’s resident authority and principal liaison with industry partner Huntington Ingalls Industries–Newport News Shipbuilding—the sole facility in the United States capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two constructing nuclear submarines.

Over her four-year tour, Kriewaldt drove urgency and accountability into every aspect of waterfront production, overseeing multi-billion-dollar shipbuilding programs including the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, and Virginia-class attack submarines.

“SUPSHIP Newport News proudly partners with Huntington Ingalls Industries–Newport News Shipbuilding, united by a mission that extends far beyond the shipyard: delivering the warfighting capacity our Navy and our nation require,” Kriewaldt reflected in an address to her command. “Every aircraft carrier and submarine we build, modernize, repair, and return to service represents combat power for the Fleet. The measure of our success is not simply the work we oversee—it is the capability we deliver.”

Addressing the realities of global competition, she reminded her team that their mission directly protects American freedom.

“Our strategic reality demands unyielding maritime superiority,” Kriewaldt said. “In an era of contested seas and intensifying global competition, our nation cannot afford hesitation—now is the time to drive harder, faster, and more decisively than ever before. Accelerating the delivery of lethal, mission-ready warfighting capacity to the Fleet is not merely a benchmark; it is our national imperative.”

Going Ashore: “The Watch Stands Relieved”

The retirement ceremony captured the profound camaraderie and deep respect Kriewaldt fostered throughout her 27 years in uniform.

The ceremony reached its emotional peak with the traditional reading of “The Watch,” a time-honored naval verse honoring a Sailor’s unwavering vigilance through the years while others rested, learned, or grew under her protection.

As the final words echoed — “Shipmate, you stand relieved… we have the watch”—side boys piped Captain Kriewaldt ashore one last time.

Looking ahead, Kriewaldt is embarking on what she enthusiastically calls “Family & Future: A New Voyage,” spending well-earned time with her daughters, Viktoria Grace and Ava Marie, and reflecting with pride on a career that began in Missouri and left an indelible mark on the ships and Sailors that defend freedom across the globe.

About SUPSHIP Newport News:

Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Newport News (SUPSHIPNN) is the Department of the Navy’s on-site technical, contractual, and quality authority embedded at Huntington Ingalls Industries–Newport News Shipbuilding. SUPSHIPNN ensures the Navy’s capital warships, including Ford-class aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered fast attack and ballistic missile submarines are engineered, built, overhauled, and tested to the highest standards of combat lethality before joining the fleet.

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