Board of Inspection and Survey conducts change of command
08 May 2023
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Capt. Todd E. Whalen relieved Rear Adm. Randall “Randy” W. Peck as President of the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) during a change of command ceremony held at the Drexler Manor Conference Center onboard Joint Expeditionary Base – Little Creek on May 5, 2023.
The change of command is an important event and honored ceremony that signifies the transfer of authority, responsibility, and accountability from one commander to another.
INSURV, as most Sailors in the fleet know it, is responsible for inspecting the fleet’s in-service and new construction ships, determine their material readiness, and report this assessment to Congress, and Navy Leadership.
"Since I reported in April 2021, you have conducted 121 ship Material Inspections and Trials, 465 craft inspections and 48 inspections on Military Sealift Command Ships,” said Rear Adm. Peck. “These inspections included direct inspector surveillance on over 6 million shipboard components, which is also 6 million Sailor interactions on every Naval Vessel Registry Platform across the globe.”
Peck thanked his team for their impact to the fleet saying, “your insights have fueled 49 significant recommendations and 14 Technical Issue Papers and resolved 12 major technical deficiencies affecting the Fleet, problems they will never have to work around in the future."
Vice Adm. Jim Kilby, commander, Task Force 80 and deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Forces served as presiding officer and guest speaker.
“INSURV Inspection Results are used to improve our commanding officers’ ability to self-assess – this is foundational to our ability to self-correct and to improve our platform’s abilities to be self-sufficient,” said Kilby.
“Randy, you and your team have greatly increased the performance and output of the Board of Inspection and Survey – in the words of the Boy Scouts, ‘you left it better than you found it.’ Thank you for your dedication and leadership in this critical role of our Navy.”
Capt. Whalen assumed command as the 70th President of the Board of Inspection and Survey having previously served as chief of staff, commander, Surfaces Forces Atlantic.
The Board of Inspection and Survey was initially established in 1870 to ensure that the ships of the United States Navy were properly equipped for prompt, reliable, sustained mission readiness at sea. In 1882, Congress enacted legislation which established the Board of Inspection and Survey under statutory authority.
U.S. Code Title X, 7304 requires a Board of Naval Officers to conduct a Material Inspection of all naval ships at least once every three years, if practicable. INSURV has been operating continuously under this authority since that date.
Today INSURV is comprised of nearly 200 high talented military, civilian, and contractors dispersed in various locations in the United States, and concentrated in San Diego and Virginia Beach.