Lieutenant Assumes Command of Mk VI Patrol Boat

Photo By Chief Petty Officer NELSON L DOROMAL | 190607-N-NT795-1111 CORONADO, Calif. (June 7, 2019) -- Lt. Matthew “Hunter” Harvey, commanding officer of Coastal Riverine Squadron 3, Alpha Company, Crew 1, is piped ashore after an assumption of command ceremony on board Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California. Harvey, from Oakboro, North Carolina, is the Navy’s third surface warfare officer to assume the new Coastal Riverine Force (CRF) command-at-sea billet on the Mark VI patrol boat. The CRF conducts missions in support of port and harbor security, maritime force protection, high-value asset security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and training/partnership exercises with foreign nations. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Nelson Doromal/Released)  

CORONADO, CA, UNITED STATES

06.07.2019

Story by Chief Petty Officer NELSON L DOROMAL 

Maritime Expeditionary Security Group One

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Lt. Matthew “Hunter” Harvey, from Oakboro, North Carolina, assumed command of Coastal Riverine Squadron 3, Alpha Company, Crew 1, during a ceremony held on board Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, June 7.

Harvey is the Navy’s third surface warfare officer to assume the new Coastal Riverine Force (CRF) command-at-sea billet on the Navy’s new cutting-edge Mark VI patrol boats and will deploy with the craft and crew.

“By allowing junior officers to tackle the challenges that come with early command, our abilities sharpen with each evolution,” said Harvey. “We have been provided with platforms that continue to progress in lethality, complexity, and ability, along with the responsibility and authority to lead them.”

Capt. Michael Ray, commodore of Coastal Riverine Group 1, provided the keynote remarks during the ceremony.

“One thing I really enjoy about this job is the opportunity to work in concert with, or in direct support of, Seabees, EOD and expeditionary cargo handlers,” said Ray. “While antiterrorism and force protection remain the core competencies of the Coastal Riverine Force, this platform, and the ingenuity of those who take her to sea, will position us to enable and enhance emerging or immature capabilities in the space between surface warfare and the other expeditionary tribes.”

Harvey graduated from Virginia Military Institute with Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering and commissioned May 2014. Harvey has completed deployments in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility while serving as the fire control officer aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79).

The new Mk VI command positions were created to provide the dedicated and resourceful leadership required to safely maintain and fight the advanced patrol craft that continues to transform the CRF through extended reach and increased combat power.

Members of the CRF conduct missions in support of port and harbor security, maritime force protection, high-value asset security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and training/partnership exercises with foreign nations.

• Date Taken: 06.07.2019
• Date Posted: 06.12.2019 15:42
• Story ID: 327022
• Location: CORONADO, CA, US
• Hometown: OAKBORO, NC, US