SAN DIEGO -- Cmdr. Erin Connor was relieved by Cmdr. Samuel Moffett as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16) Gold crew during a ceremony onboard USS Tulsa (LCS 16), April 4. Capt. Douglas Meagher, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 3 (LCSRON 3), was the presiding officer and guest speaker at the ceremony.
During Connor’s time in command, Tulsa completed an 18-month maintenance period outside a fleet concentration area, to include dry docking the ship in Portland, Oregon, numerous successful certification events, the restoration of Tulsa back to an operational state, and its return voyage to homeport in San Diego, California.
“You [the crew] have enjoyed exceptional leadership in Cmdr. Connor. She guided you through thousands of miles of safe water and fostered your growth as a crew,” said Meagher. “Cmdr. Moffett takes the reigns and will steer a new course as you navigate into uncharted waters. Follow the course he directs, ready the ship for war, and give him the same support and commitment you delivered to Cmdr. Connor.”
Connor was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for her superior accomplishments, and will report to the PEO Integrated Warfare Systems for her next tour of duty.
“Tulsa Gold, you are the finest group of professionals on the Pacific waterfront, and it has been the honor of my life to lead you through Tulsa’s maintenance phase,” said Connor. “Sam, you are one of the Navy’s finest mine counter-measure warfighters, and it is my honor as CO to turn over the command of Tulsa Gold to you so that you may set the crew’s course and Sail Tulsa over the horizon and into the war to fight.”
The change of command ceremony is a long-standing naval traditional designed to publicly transfer authority from one commanding officer to another.
“It’s said that ‘a ship is safe in harbor but that’s not what ships are for.’ It is our responsibility to ensure this ship and our crew are ready to fight when called upon,” said Moffett. “This will be a challenging and rewarding year as we progress through warfare certifications and eventually a deployment. Thank you for your tireless efforts. I am incredibly proud to lead this team and I look forward to getting back to sea, where we belong.”
A native of Pickerington, Ohio, Connor earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Ohio State University and commissioned as an ensign in 2005. She holds a Master’s of Arts in Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master’s of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.
Tulsa 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/.