US Navy’s DESRON 7 Changes Command

Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 held a change of command ceremony at Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific in Singapore, Aug. 12.

Capt. Fred Kacher relinquished command of the DESRON to Capt. H.B. Le in a ceremony presided over by Rear Adm. Charlie Williams, commander, Task Force (CTF) 73.

Kacher arrived at DESRON 7 in October of 2012, first serving as the command’s deputy commodore before assuming the role of commodore in July 2014. As deputy, Kacher helped execute DESRON 7’s historic shift from San Diego to the Asia-Pacific, where the staff joined U.S. 7th Fleet’s forward deployed naval forces in December 2012.

With his DESRON 7 chapter now closed, Kacher looks forward to his next chapter serving at U.S. Surface Forces in San Diego.

Under Le, the group will participate in more exercises throughout U.S. 7th Fleet in 2016 than it did before.

Le arrived at DESRON 7 in January 2015 following 17 months in the Pentagon as the junior military assistant to former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

Previous tours saw Le serve as the commanding officer of USS Lassen (DDG 82) and executive officer of USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54)-both forward deployed destroyers, as well as executive assistant to two 7th Fleet commanders.

In his role as DESRON 7 deputy commodore, Le served as exercise commander during CARAT exercises in the Philippines, Timor Leste and Indonesia. He also was the senior naval officer present during April’s Naval Engagement Activity Vietnam and was co-task group commander during the Guardian Sea exercise with the Royal Thai navy.

Image: US Navy