Castellano's naval sea duty assignments include O.I. Division Officer, Auxiliaries Officer, and Communications Officer of ; Operations Officer of ; Commanding Officer of ; as Executive Officer of and as Commanding Officer of USS
Bainbridge from June 2008 until April 2010. Ashore, he served as an Associate Fellow to the
Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group XVI and as a Surface Warfare Lieutenant Commander – Commander Assignments Officer, Navy Personnel Command (PERS 41). He was also previously assigned to the
Joint Forces Staff College. Castellano stated that as the winds picked up, tensions rose among the pirates and "we calmed them" and persuaded the pirates to be towed by
Bainbridge. Vice Admiral William E. Gortney reported the rescue began when Castellano determined that Phillips's life was in imminent danger and ordered the action. President
Barack Obama had previously given orders to take no action unless it was determined that Phillips's life was in immediate danger. A reporter summarized Vice Admiral
William Gortney's description of the final events: "Just before the shooting, Capt. Phillips was topside of the lifeboat. One pirate was behind him, pointing an
AK-47 rifle at him. The head and shoulders of each of the other two pirates were also visible above deck of the enclosed lifeboat. Determining that Phillips might be shot at any moment, the commander ordered the action." Castellano stated, "[We] ultimately believed the pirates were about to kill the captain. That's what was the decision point."
U.S. Navy SEAL snipers on
Bainbridges fantail opened fire and killed the three pirates remaining in the lifeboat.
Bainbridge had the lifeboat under tow approximately astern at the time. A fourth pirate was aboard
Bainbridge negotiating a ransom and was taken prisoner. The U.S. Navy evacuated
Maersk Alabamas captain,
Richard Phillips, to
Bainbridge and then flew him by helicopter to for a medical evaluation. ==Awards and decorations==