Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Kassandra Alanis | Sailors render honors to Cmdr. Ryan Doyle, incoming commanding officer of the...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO – Cmdr. Kevin Smith was relieved by Cmdr. Ryan Doyle as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Omaha (LCS 12) during a change of command ceremony held at Naval Base San Diego, July 29. Capt. Jose A. Roman, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) One, was the presiding officer and guest speaker at the ceremony attended by dignitaries and family of the commanding officers and crew.
During Smith’s time in command of the Omaha Gold crew, he led the ship’s deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation, which included multilateral engagements with several partner nations, ensuring maritime security and protecting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“Kevin, you led your crew through a challenging deployment into some of the most vital and strategic waterways in the world,” said Capt. Jose Roman, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. “Your steady hand and sound judgment under pressure proved to me, and to your crew, that you were the right leader to take this warship forward.
During the ceremony, Smith was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his superior accomplishments and will be reporting to Tactical Training Group Pacific.
“This experience with this group of Sailors was one I’m fortunate to have been a part of, and will always be a special memory for me,” Smith said to his crew. “It was an honor to be your captain, and I know you will continue to be the difference.”
Smith, a native of Chicago, Ill. graduated from Marquette University in 2006 with a degree in English. He was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program.
Doyle, having previously served as commanding officer of the Omaha Blue crew during its rotational deployment to the Indo-Pacific, assumes command of a newly-combined crew.
“Ryan, you’ve already put a lot of miles on this warship,” said Roman. “I’m confident you’ll be able to build on your prior experiences and lead this crew to even greater operational successes.”
Under the command of Smith and Doyle, the Omaha returned to homeport July 11 following a 10-month rotational deployment. During deployment, Omaha participated in several multinational events and exercises, and conducted eight port visits, including six to partner and allied nations: Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Hawaii.
The Omaha is homeported in San Diego as a part of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. 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: | 07.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2025 18:38 |
| Story ID: | 544181 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 313 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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