Nigerian’s Kelechi Ndukwe becomes Commodore of U.S. Navy Destroyer Squadron

Nigerian‑American U.S. Navy officer Kelechi Ndukwe has made history following his promotion to Commodore of Destroyer Squadron 60 and Commander of Task Force 65, based in Rota, Spain. Naval.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria celebrated the new milestone achieved by Commodore Kelechi Ndukwe.

In a post on Twitter, the mission praised his extraordinary career path from becoming the first Nigerian-American to command a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Halsey, to serving now as Commodore of Destroyer Squadron 60 and Task Force 65 in Spain.

“Meet Commodore Kelechi Ndukwe, a Nigerian-American making history in the @USNavy! From commanding the USS Halsey as the first Nigerian-American to lead a guided-missile destroyer to now serving as Commodore of Destroyer Squadron 60 & Task Force 65 in Spain 🇪🇸, his journey is pure inspiration and a true example of #AmericanExcellence!” the tweet reads.

Kelechi Ndukwe previously made headlines in April 2021 when he became the first Nigerian‑American to command a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Halsey (DDG‑97).

Over his decades-long career, he has served on multiple vessels, including the USS Devastator, and has held senior roles both at sea and within Navy personnel command.

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