Capt. John Schmidt relieved Capt. Brad Cooper as commanding officer of Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) during a ceremony held at Naval Station Mayport, March 27.
During Cooper’s tour, Gettysburg was deployed for nine months to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility as the Air and Missile Defense Commander for the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group.
During that period, the crew was recognized with both the 2013 and 2014 “Battle E” awards, as well as all five Command Excellence Awards.
Cooper’s next assignment is at Navy Personnel Command as the director, Surface Warfare Officer Distribution Division (PERS-41).
Schmidt, Gettysburg’s new commanding officer, is coming off of a successful tour as a reactor officer aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), where he oversaw the completion of the ship’s mid-life refueling and complex overhaul before returning the ship to operational status.
Gettysburg, homeported in Mayport, Florida, is currently in the middle of an 11-month maintenance availability, which will include significant upgrades to its hull and engineering plant.
[mappress mapid=”15596″]
Image: US Navy