Navy officials announced Wednesday that Capt. Wendel Penetrante, Capt. Edwin Catubig and Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Dean Howell have been relieved of their duties as commanding officer, executive officer and command master chief of the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center in Yokosuka, Japan. The three were removed “due to a loss of confidence in their ability to command,” the service said, but offered no further explanation.
The Yokosuka facility provides intermediate‑level and depot‑level repair for ships of the U.S. 7th Fleet, and earlier this year a Navy release praised it for returning seven vessels—including two mine‑countermeasures ships, three destroyers and an amphibious transport dock—to the fleet “on time or ahead of schedule.” Penetrante had led the center since February 2025; Catubig, a former enlisted sailor commissioned in 2003, and Howell, a career enlisted member since 2001, each brought extensive sea‑service backgrounds.
Relieving an entire command team is uncommon and typically signals serious concerns, whether operational, managerial or personal. The Navy has not identified a successor yet, but the abrupt change underscores the importance of maintaining readiness for the 7th Fleet’s forward‑deployed ships. Observers will be watching how the new leadership restores confidence and whether the facility’s repair tempo is affected.
