CMDR. Raffaele A. Giarnella Jr.

Executive Officer, USS San Antonio (LPD 17)

24 January 2024

Commander Raffaele Giarnella is a native of New Britain, CT.  Enlisting as a Sonar Technician (Surface) in 2006, he completed STG “A” and “C” school at FLEASWTRACEN Pacific, San Diego, CA.  He earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI.  CDR Giarnella graduated in 2004 from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in English and earned a Master's in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill, NC in 2015.  CDR Giarnella earned a Master of Arts focusing on international security from The Fletcher School at Tufts University through the Politico-Military Masters program.

Sea tours include Repair Officer and Assistant 1st LT in USS GREEN BAY (LPD 20), Training Officer in USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53), Operations Officer in USS STOCKDALE (DDG 106) and USS SHILOH (CG67) forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan.  His most recent at sea assignment was N7 Department Head for Training and Certifications at Destroyer Squadron 21 in San Diego, California. 

Ashore, CDR Giarnella served as Naval ROTC Instructor at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.