Rear Adm. Timothy J. Kott has been chosen to lead Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific. (U.S. Navy)

Rear Adm. Timothy J. Kott has been chosen to lead Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific. (U.S. Navy)

Rear Adm. Timothy J. Kott has been chosen to lead Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific. (U.S. Navy)

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — A veteran of numerous stints aboard guided-missile warships has been chosen to lead Navy Region Hawaii, which oversees 23,000 acres of land and sea in and around Hawaii, the Pentagon said Monday in a news release.

Rear Adm. Timothy J. Kott will also assume command of Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, which is responsible for maintenance and training of all surface ships and their crews homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

The Pentagon also announced that Rear Adm. Blake L. Converse, current commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Submarine Force in Pearl Harbor, will become deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Rear Adm. Jeffrey T. Jablon will take command of the Submarine Force, the Pentagon said last month.

Kott will replace Rear Adm. Robert B. Chadwick II, who will move to San Diego to command Carrier Strike Group Nine.

Kott is a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y. He holds master’s degrees in financial management from the Naval Postgraduate School and in national security strategy from the National War College.

Among his sea assignments were navigator aboard the USS Flatley, a guided-missile frigate; operations officer on the USS Hue City, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser; and executive officer on the USS Hopper, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.

His major command tour was aboard USS Mobile Bay, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser.

Kott is currently commander of Carrier Strike Group One, a position he has held since June.

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