Cmdr. Patrick M. Chapman
Deputy Commodore, Destroyer Squadron 60, Task Force 65
04 January 2021
CDR Chapman is a native of Rockville, Maryland. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor’s in English with honors and holds a Master’s in English from the University of Maryland. A specialist in politico-military and legislative affairs, he was selected for the Navy’s Pol-Mil Master’s program and earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University.
He currently serves as Deputy Commodore for Destroyer Squadron 60 / Task Force 65 forward deployed in Rota, Spain. He commanded USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) during the COVID pandemic, executing the ship’s homeport shift to Europe and inaugural forward deployed patrol through the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and the Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas. The efforts of his crew earned recognition as Battle ‘E’ and Unit Tactics Award winners.
At sea, he also served as Strike Officer in USS O’Kane (DDG 77) out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Reactor Mechanical division officer aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) out of San Diego, California; Operations Officer in USS McCampbell (DDG 85) forward-deployed out of Yokosuka, Japan; Operations Officer (N3) for Destroyer Squadron 15, embarked in USS George Washington (CVN 73) in Yokosuka, Japan; and Executive Officer of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) out of Norfolk, Virginia.
Ashore, he served as an English instructor at the Naval Academy, White House Social Aide from 2009-2010, Legislative Fellow on the staff of Congressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut, and Executive Assistant to the Navy’s Chief of Legislative Affairs. He holds a certificate of Legislative Studies from Georgetown University.
CDR Chapman has earned various personal, unit, service and campaign awards.