Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Vance Hand | Cmdr. Bill Golden, center, the oncoming commanding officer of the Independence-variant...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO -- Cmdr. William Ashley was relieved by Cmdr. Bill Golden as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) Blue crew during a change of command and retirement ceremony held at Naval Base San Diego, May 8. Capt. Douglas Meagher, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 (LCSRON 1), was the presiding officer and Capt. Marc Crawford was the guest speaker at the ceremony.
During his time in command, Ashley oversaw Canberra Blue’s crew formation, acceptance and contractor trials, sail around from Mobile, AL to San Diego, CA, TYCOM sea trials and Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials. Additionally, Ashley led Canberra on her deployment to be commissioned in Sydney, Australia, the first ever U.S. naval warship commissioned in a foreign country. He also oversaw initial testing, integration and tactics development of the Mine Warfare Mission Package.
"Will, your dedication to the Navy and the LCS program is impressive and absolutely remarkable! You have been part of the Navy team since 1994 - a 30 year career, going from enlisted Hull Maintenance Technician to a Commander in Command, that's impressive in and of itself," said Crawford. "Bill, now it's your turn. It's your turn to provide leadership and guidance to this crew, and prepare it for deployment."
During the ceremony, Ashley was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his superior accomplishments. After being formally relieved of command, a retirement ceremony was held in honor of Ashley’s 30 years of faithful service.
"You know, I never dreamed I would be here today – well, I knew I would retire, I just thought it would be a lot sooner and not as a change of command," said Ashley. "I’ve been asked quite a bit if I’m going to miss this…well yeah! I’m going to miss this crew, it’s unique cast of characters, I’m going to miss this ship, I feel like I know her better than any other ship I’ve served on. I’m comforted knowing that I leave her and the crew in very capable hands. Bill, you are exactly what this crew and ship needs right now. "
Ashley is a native of Woodlake, Texas, and enlisted in the US Navy in 1994 as a Hull Maintenance Technician. In 2005, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Oceanography from Old Dominion University and received his commission as an Ensign through the Seaman to Admiral-21 program. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Physical Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Canberra 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/.
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| Date Taken: | 05.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2024 16:04 |
| Story ID: | 471359 |
| Location: | NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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