Norfolk, Va. - The Navy on Friday put a new commander in charge of its submarine force to lead the 19,000 sailors who are part of the secretive underwater service.

Vice Adm. Michael Connor relieved Vice Adm. John Richardson of command during a ceremony aboard the Groton, Conn.-based USS New Mexico at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

Richardson held the post for two years and is taking a new job as director of naval nuclear propulsion.

With the change of command, Connor is now the Navy's top submarine commander and will directly manage the force's Atlantic fleet, which is spread among bases in Georgia, Connecticut and Virginia. Connor will also serve as commander of NATO'S Allied Submarine Command.

"For the submarine force, I promise to work with you to gain further momentum in the direction that has been set and to work with our fellow warriors across the Navy to maximize our contribution to the nation and to work hard to maximize the contribution of each of our sailors to that critical mission," Connor said after receiving his new orders. "There is much to be done and there's not a moment to lose."

Connor takes over at a time the Navy is integrating women into its submarine force, is fighting a recent series of embarrassing ethical lapses and has six nuclear-powered attack subs under construction that are intended to help the Navy adapt to a changing warfare landscape. Those Virginia-class submarines, which the USS New Mexico is among, are designed to operate better in shallow waters near the shore and have special features to support special operation forces, among other things. Of the 72 submarines the Navy has at its disposal, nine are Virginia-class subs.

Adm. John Harvey, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said that the nation's submarine force was primarily designed for Cold War purposes but that its value remains strong.

“This force has proven astonishingly relevant for every operation this nation has undertaken since the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union dissolved," Harvey said.

"No nation's Navy can touch our submarine force and every nation's navy knows it."

Connor is from Weymouth, Mass., and previously served as assistant deputy chief of naval operations for warfare systems. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1980 with a bachelor of arts in physics. His first job was serving aboard USS Ulysses S. Grant.