Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class RuKiyah Mack | 210917-N-QF023-1262 YOKOSUKA, Japan (Sept. 17, 2021) Cmdr. Matthew Hays, from Celina,...... read more read more
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YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) held a change of command ceremony, Sept. 17, 2021 at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka.
Cmdr. Matthew Hays relieved Cmdr. Robert Niemeyer as commanding officer. Niemeyer assumed command of Milius in July 2020, and will serve his next tour at the Chief of Naval Operations Staff in Washington, D.C.
During his 14-month tour, Niemeyer commanded Milius through a selected restricted availability (SRA) and Basic Phase, preparing and equipping Milius for future operations in the Pacific theater among joint and multinational forces.
"It was a privilege to lead this great warship. The grit, resilience, and toughness of my team inspired me daily as we tackled a challenging maintenance period and pre-deployment training. This tour has been the most rewarding experience of my career, defined by the incredible talents and dedication of my world-class team of warfighters,” said Niemeyer.
Hays is a native of Celina, Ohio, and most recently served as the executive officer aboard Milius.
“I am extremely grateful for the passion and energy that Cmdr. Rob Niemeyer has put into Milius. He built a winning team and culture onboard that I intend to carry forward with continued excellence. I truly feel blessed to have this opportunity to lead these fine Milius men and women of the forward-deployed naval forces.”
Milius’ namesake honors Capt. Paul Milius, a Navy Pilot who saved the lives of seven crewmembers by remaining at the controls when his OP-E2 aircraft was shot down over Vietnam.
Milius is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.
U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability, and prevent conflict.
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2021 20:24 |
| Story ID: | 405828 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, JP |
| Web Views: | 1,325 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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