NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO — Cmdr. Andrew Laidler relieved Cmdr. Bill Carroll as commanding officer of Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Oakland (LCS 24) Gold crew during a ceremony aboard USS Montgomery (LCS 8), pier side at Naval Base San Diego, June 2.
Under Carroll’s leadership, Gold crew trained and certified in order to take the ship hull six months into its maiden deployment. Under the Blue-Gold crew construct, each hull is assigned two crews that alternate time on-hull, which enables the ship to remain on deployment over the horizon for longer periods of time. Additionally, Gold crew conducted the first on load of the Naval Strike Missile at Naval Base Seal Beach, and the first on load of a torpedo onto a littoral combat ship.
Oakland Gold crew recently exchanged command with Blue crew in Guam following Gold crew’s first on-hull period. Oakland remains in the Indo-Pacific on deployment.
Laidler, a native of Boston, previously served as the executive officer of Oakland Gold crew.
Oakland is one of 15 ships homeported in San Diego as a part of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.
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