Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Darek Leary | NAVAL BASE GUAM, Guam (Aug 12, 2022) – Cmdr. Thomas Bullock, center is piped ashore...... read more read more
NAVAL BASE GUAM (Aug. 12, 2022) – The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) held a change of command ceremony at Naval Base Guam, Aug. 12.
Cmdr. Thomas Dixon, from Orange County, Calif., relieved Cmdr. Thomas Bullock, from Woodbridge, Va., as Asheville’s commanding officer during the ceremony held at the base chapel.
Rear Adm. Rick Seif, commander, Submarine Group 7, was the guest speaker while Capt. Carl Trask, commander, Submarine Squadron 15 (CSS-15), presided over the ceremony. Guests included the crew of Asheville, families, and friends.
“Thomas when you asked me to be your guest speaker, I made my front office clear my schedule and jumped at the chance,” said Seif. “Because our Guam SSNs, battle force Guam, have a special place in my heart, and a special place at the center of everything we do at CTF 74 and C7F. And Asheville, the ghost of the coast, you have been our lead wolf, our apex predator, and I would not have missed this opportunity to recognize your accomplishments.”
The major accomplishments of Asheville while Bullock was commanding officer included two deployments in the Western Pacific.
Bullock thanked the submarine tenders USS Frank Cable (AS 40) and USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), CSS-15, and the Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific Detachment for their roles in successfully supporting Asheville’s mission cycles which allowed them to complete the challenging operations.
Bullock gave flowers as a token of gratitude to the Asheville Ombudsman and Family Readiness Group for their consistent support of the crew’s families. Bullock then addressed the Asheville crew one last time as their commanding officer.
“It is to this group of dedicated professionals that I want to give my greatest thanks,” said Bullock. “The strength of Asheville has always been in the crew. Your capacity to do some of the hardest work we ask of anyone in the entire Department of Defense is truly remarkable. But the nearly inexhaustible reservoir of support you have for one another is what makes you special, and it’s what makes me most proud to be counted among you.”
Dixon then addressed the audience.
“I promise to deliver an effective warship worthy of the American people’s trust and investment,” said Dixon. “We will be ready to execute the most demanding operations in service to our nation and her allies.”
Bullock is transferring to Naval Submarine School as the prospective commanding officer instructor in Groton, Conn. Dixon’s previously served at the Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel as Special Assistant for Legislative Matters in Arlington, Virginia.
Asheville is one of five Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 (CSS-15), which is located at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam.
For more news from Commander, Submarine Squadron 15, visit our official CSS-15 website at http://www.csp.navy.mil/css15 and our official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SubmarineSquadron15/.
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2022 01:55 |
| Story ID: | 427597 |
| Location: | NAVAL BASE GUAM, GU |
| Web Views: | 933 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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