The Captain
Only a seaman realizes to what extent an entire ship reflects the personality and ability of one individual, her Commanding Officer. To a landsman, this is not understandable, and sometimes it is even difficult for us to comprehend - but it is so.

A ship at sea is a distant world in herself and in consideration of the protracted and distant operations of the fleet units, the Navy must place great power, responsibility and trust in the hands of those leaders chosen for command.

In each ship there is one man who, in the hour of emergency or peril at sea, can turn to no other man. There is one who alone is ultimately responsible for the safe navigation, engineering performance, accurate gunfiring and morale of his ship. He is the Commanding Officer. He is the ship.

This is the most difficult and demanding assignment in the Navy. There is not an instant during his tour of duty as Commanding Officer that he can escape the grasp of command responsibility. His privileges in view of his obligations are almost ludicrously small; nevertheless, command is the spur which has given the Navy its great leaders.

It is a duty which most richly deserves the highest, time-honored title of the seafaring world - "CAPTAIN." - Joseph Conrad

Two Centuries of Captains
Commanding Officers of Commissioned BOSTONs, 1776 - 1999
SSN703
4/1997 - 11/1999
CDR David A. Olivier USN
11/1994 - 4/1997
CDR Christopher A. Klyne USN
6/1993 - 11/1994
CDR Will H. Jordan USN
5/1991 - 6/1993
CDR Peter A. Scala USN
8/1988 - 5/1991
CDR John P. Jarabak USN
7/1985 - 8/1988
CDR William J. Riffer USN
8/1982 - 7/1985
CDR H. Reeves Adair USN
1/1982 - 8/1982
CDR J. Michael Barr USN
CA69
1/1969 - 5/1970
CAPT Raymond A. Komorowski USN
CAG1
7/1967 - 1/1969
CAPT Leon I. Smith Jr. USN
3/1966 - 7/1967
CAPT Archer R. Gordon USN
1/1965 - 3/1966
CAPT John D. Chase USN
1/1964 - 1/1965
CAPT Robert L. Kalen USN
2/1963 - 1/1964
CAPT James G. Andrews USN
10/1961 - 2/1963
CAPT Richard G. Colbert USN
7/1960 - 10/1961
CAPT Glover T. Ferguson USN
7/1959 - 7/1960
CAPT Joseph F. Enright USN
7/1958 - 7/1959
CAPT Luther C. Heinz USN
8/1957 - 7/1958
CAPT Robert L. Taylor USN
7/1956 - 8/1957
CAPT Kleber S. Masterson USN
11/1955 - 7/1956
CAPT Charles B. Martell USN
CA69
7/1946 - 10/1946
CAPT A. C. Ingels USN
3/1946 - 7/1946
CAPT J. A. Connolly USN
2/1946 - 3/1946
CAPT H. O. Hansen USN
6/1945 - 2/1946
CAPT Marion. R. Kelley USN
6/1944 - 6/1945
CAPT E. E. Herrman USN
8/1943 - 6/1944
CAPT John Hazard Carson USN
Protected Cruiser
Oct 1905 - Jan 1907 CDR DeWitt Coffman (Attained rank of VADM)
USS Coffman (DE-191) named after him.  Comm 12/27/1943
before 1904 CDR Samuel W. B. Diehl
Jul 1902 CDR Charles P. Perkins
May 1899 - Jul 1899 CAPT William H. Whiting
Sep 1898 - May 1899 CAPT George F. F. Wilde
Nov 1895 CAPT Frank Wildes
Feb 1889 CAPT James O'Kane
May 1887
CAPT Francis M. Ramsay (Attained the rank of RADM)
USS Ramsay (DD-124) named after him. Comm. 2/15/1919
1883-1884
CAPT Gilbert C. Wiltse USN
Sloop
10/1826
Master Commandant B. V. Hoffman
Frigate
5/1799
Captain G. Little
Frigate
2/1779 - 5/1780
Captain Samuel Tucker
6/1776 - 2/1779
Captain Hector McNeill
Gundalow
7/1776 - 10/1776
Colonel Benedict Arnold (Fleet commander)

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