Manila-born officer takes command of U.S. Navy’s second oldest vessel

Lt. Cmdr. Alden Argante enlisted in the Navy in June 1996 as a Gas Turbine Systems Technician Electrical (GSE). LINKEDIN

NORFOLK, Virginia – A Manila-born U.S. Navy officer is now in command of the service’s second oldest vessel Dynamic (AFDL 6),

The 78-year-old Dynamic is the second oldest vessel in the Navy, behind USS Constitution.

A ceremony held Jan. 28 at Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) transferred command of the floating dry-dock to Lt. Cmdr. Alden Argante.

Argante, a native of Manila, relieved Lt. Cmdr. Gaston Hatfield Jr. of Wyoming County, West Virginia. Hatfield will continue his career as the Main Propulsion Assistant aboard the amphibious ship USS Bataan (LHD 5).

Argante enlisted in the Navy in June 1996 as a Gas Turbine Systems Technician Electrical (GSE). He advanced to Chief Petty Officer in 2004 and was selected to the Limited Officer Duty Officer Program in 2007. He had been tapped for several engineering and project officer assignments prior to his new command.

Dynamic has been in service 78 years, and it has been the only Navy-operated floating dry-dock in commission since 2011. It can dock anti-mine, coastal patrol, landing crafts and similar sized service crafts.

Dynamic is ported at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story where it provides docking services for MARMC’s ship repair mission in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and the fifth and sixth Fleet Area of Responsibilities.