Commander Samuel D. Higginbotham
CDR Higginbotham is a native of Mississippi and a 2004 graduate of Norfolk State University. His sea tours include a tour of duty in USS MAHAN (DDG 72), where he served as 1st Lieutenant, Auxiliaries Officer, and Damage Control Assistant and completed a Mediterranean deployment. CDR Higginbotham’s first Department Head tour was in USS BARRY (DDG 52), where he served as Chief Engineering Officer and deployed to the CENTCOM AOR with the DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER Strike Group. His second Department Head tour was at Engineering Assessments Atlantic where he served as Engineering Project Officer.
CDR Higginbotham’s post-Division Officer shore tour was at the Destroyer Class Squadron (DDGRON) where he earned a Master of Science in Financial Management. After his Department Head tours, CDR Higginbotham reported to Afloat Training Group Norfolk (ATGN) as the Director of Engineering Training (N82); during this tour he screened for Command at Sea. Following ATGN CDR Higginbotham was assigned as the Training and Standards Director (N7) for Afloat Training Group Atlantic (ATGLANT).
Commander Higginbotham’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (1), Navy Commendation Medal (7), and the Navy Achievement Medal (4), as well as various unit awards.