Groton - Capt. Mark S. VanYe turned over command of the Regional Support Group Groton at the Naval Submarine Base to Capt. Richard E. Verbeke in a ceremony at the base Dec. 14.

Rear Adm. Richard Breckenridge, commander of Submarine Group Two, said VanYe has the "dynamic vision, keen judgment and gritty practical sense" it took to manage the expansive waterfront maintenance programs and responsibilities through a period of profound organizational change in Groton.

VanYe managed 900 personnel, who performed 59 scheduled maintenance availabilities and other emergent repair periods encompassing more than 3.3 million man-hours of highly skilled work on 15 ships.

His extensive forcewide overhaul of the Intermediate Maintenance cycle "radically improved" the operational readiness of attack submarines and will continue to serve "as the benchmark for the force for many years to come," Breckenridge said.

VanYe will next serve as the chief of staff at Submarine Group Nine at Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Wash. He said it has been an honor to lead the support group and praised the staff as "the unsung heroes of the Groton waterfront."

"The unique team of sailors, government civilians and contracted personnel maintain our ships in the best possible condition, ensuring our sailors and leadership can count on each and every shipboard system to be ready when the ship is called into action," he said. "The submarine force is truly fortunate to have this dedicated team supporting its ships. I have been privileged to lead them."

Verbeke previously served as the commanding officer of the Trident Refit Facility in Kings Bay, Ga., where he led a team of 1,700 civilian and military personnel.

"I am passionate about submarine maintenance and looking forward to being a part of the waterfront team and leading one of the finest repair facilities in the submarine force," he said.

RSG Groton serves as the commander of the submarine force's direct waterfront representative, directing, assigning and monitoring the accomplishment of intermediate and depot-level repairs and modernizations for the submarine squadrons at Naval Submarine Base New London.