USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) Conducts Change of Command

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Vance Hand | The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) Blue crew conducts a change of command ceremony on the ship's flight deck, Nov. 22. Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vance Hand)  

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

11.22.2023

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Vance Hand 

Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1

SAN DIEGO -- Cmdr. Adam Ochs relieved Cmdr. Brian Sparks as commanding officer of the
Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) during a ceremony at
Naval Base San Diego, Nov. 22.

During Sparks’ 17 months of command, Santa Barbara completed the initial shipboard hands-on
training, familiarizing the crew with the ship’s equipment and systems before crew move aboard.
Santa Barbara left Austal USA located in Mobile, Alabama for its maiden voyage to its homeport
at Naval Station San Diego sailing through U.S. 2nd, 3rd and 4th Fleet areas of operations to
include the Panama Canal.

“The amazing Santa Barbara crew took delivery of our ship in July of 2022 and hasn’t stopped
moving since,” said Sparks a native of Valdosta, Georgia. “They focused in this phase of the
ship’s life on testing every system, improving processes and procedures, and making a lasting impression on the
impact on readiness. The crew and ship are prepared to join the fleet and embody the ship’s
motto of Resilient and Determined as they take the ship into the future fight.”

Other significant events during Sparks’ time in command include multiple inaugural certification
events such as damage control material assessment, light-off assessment, crew certification,
electronic chart display and information system-Navy certification, combat systems ship
qualification trials, final contractor trials, and post shakedown availability receiving exemplary
marks in all areas.

Sparks added, “I’m honored and humbled to serve with each and every one of them, and I know
that I am leaving them in the capable hands of Cmdr. Adam Ochs as the new commanding
officer.”

Sparks was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for his superior accomplishments, and will
report to Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet for his next tour of duty.

A time-honored naval tradition, the ceremony allows the crew to formally acknowledge the
passing of command from the current commanding officer to the next.

“Cmdr. Sparks’ challenged the Santa Barbara team to work together as a team and set the bar
high,” said Cmdr. Johnathon Buss, Santa Barbara’s executive officer. “Under his leadership, the
team accomplished many program firsts to including new capability testing with the Mk110
Bofors gun system and search and rescue davit, while safely sailing over 14,000 nautical miles.
We will continue to build upon the excellent foundation to prepare Santa Barbara for her maiden
deployment.”

Ochs, a native of Pesotum, Illinois, is a 2006 graduate of the Naval Reserve Officer Training
Corps program from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ochs earned a bachelor’s
degree in civil engineering. While in the Navy, he earned a master’s degree in space systems
operations from the Naval Postgraduate School. Cmdr. Ochs takes command of Santa Barbara
after serving his executive officer tour on the cruiser USS Leyte Gulf.

Santa Barbara is homeported in San Diego as a part of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 littoral
combat ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in
near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century threats. LCS integrate
with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime
security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

For more news from Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, visit
https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/comlcsron1/ or follow on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/.

• Date Taken: 11.22.2023
• Date Posted: 11.27.2023 12:19
• Story ID: 458468
• Location: NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, CA, US