Commander Shea S. Thompson relieved Cmdr. Anthony Littmann as commanding officer of guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) during a change of command ceremony held pierside at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Nov. 25.
Littmann served as the ship’s executive officer through a 7th Fleet deployment, participation in Operation Valiant Shield, and Koa Kai 2012 before assuming command in April 2013.
During his command tour, Littmann led Chafee through an extended maintenance period and basic phase as well as earning the ship’s second Battle “E” for combat-ready excellence.
For his successful tour on board, Littmann was presented the Meritorious Service Medal by Capt. Christopher Bushnell, commander, Destroyer Squadron 31. Littmann is scheduled to transfer to Washington, D.C. for his next tour.
After reading his orders and assuming command, Thompson addressed the crew.
Thompson assumed the position of executive officer of Chafee March 17, 2013.
Thompson is a native of San Marcos, California, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997, and also holds an MBA from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterrey, California.
Thompson’s sea tours have been spent serving in the Asian Pacific Theater. His division officer assignments include duty as damage control assistant and first lieutenant on board USS George Philip (FFG 12) as well as a tour as the navigator aboard USS Cape St. George (CG 71).
As a department head, he served as the weapons and combat systems officer aboard USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53).
This change of command was the seventh in the ship’s 11 years of service.
USS Chafee is named for the late Sen. John Chafee who served in the U.S. Marine Corps both at Guadalcanal and in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines “Dog Company” during the Korean War. Chafee went on to serve as secretary of the Navy, governor, and senator of the state of Rhode Island.
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Press release, Image: US Navy