Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Seelbach | Capt. Christopher M. Farricker, commander, Amphibious Squadron 8 walks through the...... read more read more
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NORFOLK, Va. - Amphibious Squadron Eight (PHIBRON 8) held a change of command ceremony aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) at Naval Station Norfolk, June 26.
During the ceremony, Capt. Christopher M. Farricker was relieved by Capt. Ethan M. Rule as commodore.
“To my family who has come from all over the country, thank you,” said Farricker. “It means the world to me to see you here, in person, or watching this live. We could not have been successful without our families’ sacrifices while we were thousands of miles away.”
Farricker also highlighted the resilience of the Navy-Marine Corps partnership with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), the bedrock of the deployment’s success.
“There we were, headed east to Fifth and Sixth Fleet, and then we weren’t,” Farricker said. “Like the professional, awesome team that you are, you came together and became the action arm for a combatant command that hadn’t seen that many ships in its history.”
“You set the standard for others to follow and you performed excellently,” he lauded. “You are the lifeblood of our service, our military, and our nation and without you, we will not succeed.”
As Commodore, Farricker commanded the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (IWO ARG)—consisting of flagship, Wasp-class Amphibious Assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and San-Antonio Class Amphibious Transport Dock ships USS San Antonio (LPD 17) and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28)—during its recent historic 10-month deployment to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. While in theater, the IWO ARG supported Department of War-directed operations and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.
Presiding officer Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, commanding officer, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, recognized Farricker’s leadership during the IWO ARG – 22nd MEU (SOC) deployment.
“It is an absolute honor to be here recognizing an outstanding amphibious leader—and celebrating the hardworking Sailors and Marines that made history alongside him this year,” said Koprowski. “Just a few weeks ago, these men and women returned home after serving as the first group of expeditionary naval assets called on to support Operation Southern Spear.”
Rule takes the helm at PHIBRON 8 as the squadron remains embarked aboard Iwo Jima while the ship prepareds for its maintenance availability in the fall.
“To the staff and incredible team that represents the capabilities across all areas of warfare, I am really excited to join your team,” said Rule. “Our team will be transitioning from sustained combat operations and prepare for the next thing.”
“The blue-green relationship is really the foundation, and we need to continue building on that foundation to prepare for the next mission,” said Rule.
“It’s those relationships you have developed up and down the chain across the Navy and Marine Corps that got us here.”
Established in September 1955, PHIBRON 8 is headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek and is the Immediate Superior in Command to IWO ARG’s three amphibious warships. The command’s primary mission is to plan and execute complex amphibious operations, including crisis response, humanitarian assistance, embassy reinforcement, and maritime security across the globe.
Iwo Jima is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk and is one of America’s amphibious assault ships projecting power and maintaining presence by serving as the cornerstone of the Amphibious Ready Group and Expeditionary Strike Group.
The ship is named for the Battle of Iwo Jima fought in 1945 where three divisions of U.S. Marines took control of a tiny island from more than 20,000 enemy defenders.Since Iwo Jima‘s 2001 commissioning, the ship has supported major U.S. humanitarian-assistance, disaster response, and combat operations across the globe.
The ship’s motto, “Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue,” was famously spoken by Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz who reflected on the bravery and tenacity of the Marines and Sailors who fought the Battle of Iwo Jima. Twenty-seven U.S. service members were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroic actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima—more than any other single operation during World War II.
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2026 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 568680 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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