Adm. Patrick M. Walsh became the new commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet yesterday at a change-of-command ceremony at Pearl Harbor’s Kilo Pier.

The former vice chief of naval operations succeeds Adm. Robert F. Willard in commanding the Navy’s largest area of responsibility. Willard will soon become commander of the U.S. Pacific Command.
The Pacific Fleet’s responsibility extends over half the Earth’s surface, covering more than 100 million square miles. Each day, Pacific Fleet ships are at sea in the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, from the West Coast to the Arabian Gulf. The Pacific Fleet includes 180 ships and submarines, 1,500 aircraft and 125,000 sailors, Marines and civilians.