NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY DEVESELU, Romania (NNS) Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu held a change-of-command ceremony in Deveselu, Romania, Dec. 7.
During the ceremony, Capt. Charlos Washington relieved Capt. Jon Grant as commanding officer of the base, which is situated in south central Romania on board the Romanian 99th Military Base and serves to protect its tenant command Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (AAMDS) Romania.
Guests and the official party for the ceremony included Capt. Lawrence Vasquez, chief of staff, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, retired Capt. James Craycraft, former commanding officer of NSF Deveselu, Romanian Col. Razvan Bratulescu, commander, 99th Military Base Deveselu and Brig. Gen. Mavris Eugen, deputy commander, Joint Logistics Command.
“I’m very grateful to have had the unique opportunity to serve NSF Deveselu and our fellow warfighters here in Romania,” said Grant. “We, NSF Devesleu, the Romanian 99th and AAMDS are really three separate commands, but by operating together in concert we represent one formidable force.”
Grant assumed command in Nov. 2016 and during his time on board helped with the continued development of NSF Deveselu and integration of the Navy’s first shore-based ballistic missile defense site AAMDS Romania.
“I want to commend each and every one of NSF Deveselu’s Sailors for their tremendous efforts keeping our country safe from those who would do us harm,” said Grant. “Through their hard work and sacrifice, they have met impossible deadlines with grace and creativity. Their dedication and ability to provide continuous assessment of our strengths and weaknesses have greatly improved our overall combat capability, and for that I thank them. It has been a true honor to serve as commanding officer and I’ll certainly miss being in their presence.”
Washington takes command after having most recently served as the deputy assistant chief of staff for assessments and expeditionary staging base fleet introduction team lead on board commander, Surface Forces Atlantic. He is a Georgia native and graduated from the United States Naval Academy where he was commissioned in 1994.
“Capt. Grant has done a tremendous job expanding on our relationship with our Romanian allies,” said Washington. “These relationships are the cornerstone from which we will continue to build.”
After his commissioning, Washington’s first sea tour was aboard the Spruance-class destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford (DD 968) where he served as the anti-submarine warfare officer. Some of his additional tours include serving as the executive officer aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), the commanding officer aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), the Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile department head on board the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, he also served as the flag operations officer assigned to Carrier Strike Group Twelve.
“It is important to recognize our United States and Romanian bilateral commitment,” said Washington. “NSF and the Romanian force protection battalion here in Deveselu is a clear demonstration that our defense ties are stronger than ever. The team approach to our objective is a continued source of pride and honor. I look forward to working jointly with my fellow commanders.”
Washington closed his remarks thanking his family and showing his appreciation to the Sailors on board NSF Deveselu for what they have and will accomplish. According to Washington, the base and its partners will continue to remain one team with one fight
NSF Deveselu is the seventh Navy Region EURAFSWA installation. EURAFSWA provides operational platforms ashore which enable U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed and when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
For more information and resources about Naval Support Facility Deveselu please visit http://cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnreurafswa/installations/nsf_deveselu.html and http://www.facebook.com/NSFDeveselu/.
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.11.2017 04:42 |
| Story ID: | 258206 |
| Location: | DEVESELU, RO |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NSF Deveselu Holds Change of Command, by William Dodge, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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