Courtesy Photo | Naval Base Ventura County, Calif. (May 21, 2026) The official party renders honors to...... read more read more
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NAVAL BASE VENTURA, Calif. (May 21, 2026) – Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron (UUVRON) 3 held a change of command ceremony at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California, May 21. Cmdr. Jason Paradis, from St. Petersburg, Florida, relieved Cmdr. Drew Lichtenstein, from Louisville, Kentucky, as UUVRON 3’s commanding officer.
Since November 2024, under Lichtenstein’s command, UUVRON 3 transformed from a newly established command to a mission-ready team, building the foundation for integration of extra-large unmanned undersea vehicle (XLUUV) warfighting operations. His leadership was crucial in refining concepts of operation and pioneering processes for the first-in-class platform, shaping the future of undersea warfare.“I’ve been saying my whole life, and this command confirmed it, great things come in small packages,” said Lichtenstein.
During his remarks, Lichtenstein thanked the squadron’s Sailors for their efforts stating, “UUVRON 3 is a small but mighty crew. You showed up every day motivated and excited to work despite schedule setbacks, program barriers, and endless challenges. Team, I applaud you for how you handled all of those challenges, never losing motivation.” Lichtenstein’s next duty assignment is to serve as director of Future Capabilities and Unmanned Systems for Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Capt. Aaron Peterson, director of Training and Tactical Development, for Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, served as guest speaker for the ceremony and congratulated Lichtenstein for his leadership. “When the currents shift and the unexpected happens, Drew always kept the mission in focus and ensured his team would be motivated and ready to clear the next hurdle and respond when called upon,” said Peterson. “Drew, you’ve done an exceptional job leading this squadron. You’ve kept your team focused and pushed the boundaries of our unmanned capabilities and you’ve set a standard of excellence that will resonate long after you leave.”
Paradis comes to UUVRON 3 from the Naval War College. Acknowledging Lichtenstein’s service to UUVRON 3, Paradis stated “I want to begin where it matters most, by recognizing what you have built here. [Drew] took command of an organization at the frontier of Naval warfare and made it real. I am humbled to follow in your footsteps on behalf of this command and community.” Paradis then addressed the UUVRON 3 crew stating, “What I ask of this command is simple even if it isn’t easy. I ask that we hold each other to a standard of relentless improvement, because in this business, good enough today is a liability tomorrow. And when the mission gets hard, and it will get hard, I ask that we never quit on the mission and not on each other”.
UUVRON 3 was established in July 2023 as a subordinate command to Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Group (UUVGRU) 1 to support XLUUV initial operational testing and evaluation and follow-on fielding and employment in support of combatant commander requirements.
UUVGRU 1’s mission is to man, train and equip deployable forces operating unmanned undersea systems and to certify their readiness to support operational commanders globally and through all phases of conflict.
The Pacific Submarine Force provides strategic deterrence; anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; precision land strike; intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and early warning; and special warfare capabilities around the globe.For more information, contact mailto:csp_pao@us.navy.mil or visit our website at https://www.csp.navy.mil/
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2026 15:29 |
| Story ID: | 567616 |
| Location: | NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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