Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Austin Collins | 210905-N-KY668-1243 NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - (Sep. 5, 2021) – Cmdr....... read more read more
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The Freedom variant littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15) Gold crew held a change of command ceremony in which Cmdr. Brett Seeley assumed command from Cmdr. Brian Forster Sept. 5.
“It has been great to see this crew conduct many firsts not only for us, but for the [littoral combat ship] LCS community,” said Forster. “There has been no higher honor than to be the commanding officer of the Billings Gold Crew for the past couple of years.”
Forster, a native of New Jersey, received his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2002. He previously served as the executive officer of the USS Lake Champlain (CG 57). Forster’s next assignment will be the commanding officer of the USS Milwaukee (LCS 5).
“It has been an honor watching the crew develop from a pre-commissioning unit to a well-oiled machine, from completing every inspection and completing every mission we have been asked to conduct while in the Fourth Fleet area of operations.” stated Forster.
The ceremony was held with the crew onboard the ship, while inport Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Seeley has served as the executive officer aboard Billings since June of 2019. Seeley hails from Bradenton, Florida, and received his commission from The Citadel in 2003.
"Having command of a warship has been a dream of mine since the beginning of my naval career,” said Seeley. “I am humbled and honored to be able to lead such a professional and diverse group of Sailors that represent over 25 states and 4 countries and are willing to sail into harm’s way to defend their nation.”
Seeley further stated how grateful he is for all the support over the years.
“I would like to thank my parents, my wife and two daughters, and all the shipmates along the way who have supported me, mentored me, and trained me to do this job,” stated Seeley. “I would like to thank Cmdr. Forster for turning over to me a combat ready ship and a battle minded crew. Hooyah Thundercats and Hooyah Team Billings...Let's continue to lead the way!"
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet employs maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, fortify the ability of U.S. forces to work together with partner nations, and build enduring partnerships with the ultimate goal of enhancing regional security and promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.
| Date Taken: | 09.05.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2021 20:15 |
| Story ID: | 404583 |
| Location: | CU |
| Web Views: | 331 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS Billings Gold Crew Holds Change of Command, by PO2 Austin Collins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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