Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Vance Hand | Cmdr. Matthew Harris, right, the oncoming commanding officer of the...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO -- Cmdr. Phillip Herndl was relieved by Cmdr. Matthew Harris as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) Blue crew during a change of command and retirement ceremony onboard the USS Midway Museum, April 30. Capt. Douglas Meagher, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 (LCSRON 1), was the presiding officer and guest speaker at the ceremony.
During Herndl’s time in command, Gabrielle Giffords Blue completed ship the phases of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan, and deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of Operations (C7F). The C7F deployment included escort of unmanned surface vessels, cooperative deployments with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, Philippine Navy, and Royal Australian Navy. Gabrielle Giffords also participated in a high-value unit escort of Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, and freedom of navigation operations to demonstrate the United States Navy’s ability to protect and maintain freedom of major sea lanes.
“Phil’s direct leadership had strategic implications on shaping the operating environment during great power competition,” said Meagher. “This is what we pay our commanding officers to do, and Phil, you did it extremely well.”
During the ceremony, Herndl was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his superior accomplishments. After being formally relieved of command, a retirement ceremony was held in honor of Herndl’s 22 years of faithful service.
“I joined the Navy shortly after 9/11, when an officer recruiter approached me with an opportunity to serve aboard submarines and aircraft carriers in the global war on terror. The 20 years since then have shaped me into the naval officer that I am today,” said Herndl. “A deployed warship commanding officer’s responsibilities and authorities are immense. The burden is incredible. I will tell you that I had confidence to not only command at sea, but to take bold action in the face of our adversary because I knew we were ready.”
Herndl is a native of Durham, North Carolina. He enlisted in the Navy as a nuclear propulsion officer candidate and earned a commission through Officer Candidate School. Herndl holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Masters of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.
Gabrielle Giffords is currently deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, and is homeported in San Diego as a part of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.
For more news from Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/comlcsron1/ or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2024 14:02 |
| Story ID: | 470140 |
| Location: | NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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