Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Russell | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (Nov. 18, 2025) - Cmdr. Bill Murphy, commanding...... read more read more
Subscribe
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (Nov. 18, 2025) – Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) conducted a change of command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Nov. 18. Cmdr. Bill Murphy, from Bethel, Maine, relieved Cmdr. Brad Foster, from Memphis, Tennessee, as Columbia’s commanding officer, during the ceremony which was held aboard Columbia.
During his remarks, Foster applauded his crew’s successful completion of two seven-month Western Pacific deployments during his tenure as commanding officer. “To the crew of the Columbia – your efforts directly resulted in Columbia’s exceptional performance in recent years,” said Foster. He continued, “This is a collective of talented and hard-working individuals. I have no doubt that you’ll do the boat and your new commanding officer proud, as you have done for me.”
Foster’s next assignment will be in Pearl Harbor at commander, Submarine Squadron 7, where he will serve as deputy for training.
Capt. Jeffrey Fassbender, commander, Submarine Squadron 7, presided over the ceremony and served as guest speaker, providing remarks on Foster’s leadership to Columbia and its crew.
“Columbia was the platform that fleet commanders turned to when they needed precision, dedication and operational agility,” said Fassbender. “That reputation is hard earned and is a direct reflection of Brad’s leadership and the crew's dedication.”
Murphy comes to Columbia from the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit, where he served as commanding officer of Moored Training Ship 711.
“To the crew of Columbia, thank you for your hard work, patience and expertise,” said Murphy. “I am proud of this crew already. It's an incredibly invigorating and humbling experience to walk onto the boat each and every morning and be greeted by an aloha. It’s clear to me that you care about the mission and each other. That vigor is what makes this challenging life so incredible.”
Columbia was commissioned Oct. 9, 1995, and is the eighth vessel in the United States Navy to have the name. Measuring 360 feet long and displacing more than 6,900 tons, Columbia has a crew of approximately 140 Sailors. Columbia is assigned to Submarine Squadron 7 and is capable of supporting various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
| Date Taken: | 11.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2025 21:33 |
| Story ID: | 551849 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS Columbia Holds Change of Command Ceremony, by PO2 Nicholas Russell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
