Commander Ben Cantu

Commanding Officer, USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. (DDG-124)

A 2004 graduate of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program from Auburn University, Commander Cantu earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He is originally from Tennessee. A career surface warfare officer, Commander Cantu's shipboard assignments include: USS Mason (DDG 87) as Gunnery Officer and Auxiliaries Officer, HSV 2 SWIFT (Blue Crew) as Operations Officer, and both USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USS Princeton (CG 59) as Operations Officer. Ashore, he served as Surface Warfare Junior Officer Assignment and Distribution Officer at Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee and Action Officer on the OPNAV Staff for the Director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy (N13) in Arlington, Virginia. Most recently, he served as Executive Officer, USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55). His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and various unit, campaign, and service awards.

Commander Elizabeth A. McGuinnis

Executive Officer, USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. (DDG-124)

A 2007 graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Commander McGuinnis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Business Administration. She is originally from Midland, Michigan and commissioned through ROTC in December 2007.

A Surface Warfare Officer, she served tours in USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG 57) as Communications Officer, USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) as Training Officer, and USS SHOUP (DDG 86) as Weapons Officer and fleeted up to Combat Systems Officer.

Ashore, CDR McGuinnis served as a Tomahawk Mission Planner at COMUSNAVCENT in Bahrain and earned a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Manpower Systems Analysis Management as well as JPME Phase I. She completed a tour as N74, Action Officer for Training and Readiness to Commander Naval Surface Forces Atlantic and then as the Reserve Program Director for CNSL.

Her personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), Navy Achievement Medal (four awards), and various unit, campaign, and service awards.

COMMAND MASTER CHIEF KENSON JACQUES

Command Master Chief, USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124)

Command Master Chief Kenson Jacques is a native of Haiti. He enlisted in the United States Navy in October 2002 and completed basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois. Upon graduation, he attended Fireman Apprentice PACC School at Service School Command, Great Lakes.

His sea duty assignments include tours aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan; USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan; USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and USS Higgins (DDG 76), stationed in San Diego, California, and later forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, where he served as the Departmental Leading Chief Petty Officer for Engineering and Administration. Following his selection to the Command Senior Enlisted Leader Program, he served as the Command Senior Chief aboard USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), Blue Crew, homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.

Ashore, Command Master Chief Jacques served as an instructor at Surface Warfare Engineering School Command (SWESC), Great Lakes, Illinois, and as a Recruit Division Commander at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes while he was there he earned his Distinguished Leadership Award (DLA).

He holds a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration and Accounting from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management from Columbia College of Missouri. He is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (Class 248, Gold Group) and the Command Master Chief/Chief of the Boat Course (Class 24100) at the Naval Leadership and Ethics Center in Newport, Rhode Island. He is qualified in both Enlisted Surface Warfare and Enlisted Aviation Warfare. His additional certifications include Master Training Specialist, Resilient Building Leadership Professional Trainer, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Command Master Chief Jacques’ personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (5), Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, along with numerous unit, campaign, and service awards.