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NGIWA Holds Change of Command

On 15 August 2025, Navy Geospatial Intelligence Warfare Activity (NGIWA) held a change of command ceremony, during which CAPT Michael Tiefel relieved CAPT Caroline Rochfort. Rear Admiral Michael Baker, NGA Associate Director of Operations, presided over the event, and NIP Chair VADM (Ret) Bob Sharp was in attendance. CAPT Rochfort's exceptional leadership during her tenure guided NGIWA's maturation into a command and initiated its development as the Navy’s center of excellence (COE) for Geospatial Intelligence. Building on this foundation, CAPT Tiefel plans to further cultivate the COE concept while ensuring command efforts align with the Chief of Naval Operations' (CNO) direction to achieve warfighting readiness by 2027 and Vice Admiral Whitworth’s (NGA Director) strategic priority of advancing artificial intelligence capabilities in 2025. CAPT Rochfort has reported to Commander, U.S. Forces Europe/Africa as the Director of Intelligence.

As the Navy’s Major Information Warfare (IW) Command for geospatial intelligence, NGIWA supports leaders and warfighters by leveraging NGA expertise, infrastructure, and technical capabilities across a wide range of critical missions. The command comprises sailors (officers and enlisted) from diverse warfare communities, including intelligence, meteorology, surface warfare, submarines, aviation, intelligence specialists, aerographer's mates, and quartermasters, who contribute to a multitude of efforts spanning traditional intelligence to ensure the safety of air and maritime operations. Critically, NGIWA actively partners in NGA’s flagship AI/ML/Computer Vision Program of Record, delivering cutting-edge common operating and common intelligence picture capabilities, as well as automated workflows, to the fleet and joint warfighter. NGIWA sailors play a key role in developing and implementing modernized data analytics and AI programming, delivering decision advantage for the warfighter.

Navy Geospatial Intelligence Warfare Activity (NGIWA) Change of Command Ceremony
RDML Michael Baker presents CAPT Caroline Rochfort with her end-of-tour award.
NIP Chair VADM (Ret) Bob Sharp was in attendance at the ceremony.