Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Vance Hand | Cmdr. Shawn Callihan, center, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, the oncoming...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO -- Cmdr. Ralph Lufkin was relieved by Cmdr. Shawn Callihan as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14) Blue crew during a change of command and retirement ceremony held at Naval Base San Diego, Oct. 24, 2024. Capt. Douglas Meagher, Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1, was the presiding officer and guest speaker at the ceremony.
During Lufkin’s time in command, Manchester participated in several multi-national exercises including Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) 2023, Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) 2023, Pacific Griffin 2023, and Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Malaysia.
“I have often reflected on just how fortunate I was to work with someone like Ralph,” said Callihan. “He represents the very best of a naval professional and surface warrior officer; a gifted mariner, talented tactician, and superb leader of Sailors, Ralph does it all.”
Manchester repeatedly demonstrated resilience and LCS sustainability by consistently maintaining extended operations at sea. During deployment, Manchester spent 32 continuous days underway supporting theater priority operations.
“This ship has an extremely capable main battery and can carry perhaps the most lethal anti-ship missiles in the Navy. But these capabilities are meaningless without each of you. I believe that the courage, expertise, and teamwork each of you contributes is much more important than firepower,” said Callihan. “Having watched you prove your character during our recent deployment, I honestly can’t imagine serving with a better crew.”
During the ceremony, Lufkin was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his superior accomplishments. Lufkin will be reporting to Surface Warfare Officers School Command for his next tour of duty.
“My fellow Leviathans, I thank you for what you’ve done and will continue to do for our nation and our Navy. I couldn’t be more proud of how you took my exhortation to ‘make a difference’ and you did so in so many ways and positively impacted so many people, myself chief among them,” said Lufkin. “It’s been the privilege of my career to be your captain, and I wish all of you fair winds and following seas.”
Lufkin is a native of Basking Ridge, N.J., he graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College with a Master of Arts degree in National Defense and Strategic Studies.
Manchester 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: | 10.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2024 12:39 |
| Story ID: | 483878 |
| Location: | NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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