Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Miller | Capt. Rick Haley, commanding officer, USS Iwo Jima, left, is relieved of command by...... read more read more
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NORFOLK – Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) held a change of command ceremony aboard Naval Station Norfolk, July 23.
During the ceremony, Capt. Kathryn Wijnaldum relieved Capt. Richard Haley as USS Iwo Jima’s (LHD 7) 19th commanding officer.
“Thank you, Iwo, for the greatest gift a leader could have ever experienced, which was a front row seat to witness what a crew committed to excellence can accomplish together,” said Commanding Officer, Capt. Rick Haley.
During Haley’s tenure, the ship and its crew worked through its basic and advanced phases, achieving significant milestones along the way. Iwo Jima also received the Battle Effectiveness Award under Haley’s command and completed a historic 10-month deployment to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility and the U.S. Fourth Fleet area of operations in support of Department of War-directed operations and the president’s priorities.
“The Navy can and will train you to be warfighters. Combat forged and ready. We proved that on deployment. Despite the last-minute obstacles of area of responsibility changes and logistics challenges, we still proved our mettle,” Haley said.
“But I attribute our success directly to the fact that we have a crew so well connected that they refused to accept defeat or failure as an option. A crew committed to each other is the most powerful advantage a CO could ever hope for.”
As the ship moves out of its operational and sustainment phases, Wijnaldum will lead Iwo Jima into and through its Chief of Naval Operations maintenance availability in the fall. “Team Iwo, thank you for willingly accepting me as your executive officer just days before Composite Training Unit Exercise and affording me opportunities to invest in and support you, as you served and gave your very best during our twice extended deployment. You, too, are my family and I look forward to embarking upon this new chapter with you together,” said Wijnaldum. A native of Georgia, Wijnaldum’s previous sea-duty assignments include, USS Anzio (CG 68), USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and commanding officer of Patrol Coastal Crew ECHO and USS Oak Hill (LSD 51).
In her remarks, Wijnaldum charged ship’s company with the longstanding principle of ownership.
“We are a united team of committed warfighting professionals who consistently master their areas of responsibility so that IWO JIMA remains READY to FIGHT, WIN, and CRUSH every obstacle, challenge, or tasking that comes our way,” she said.
“What I ask of you is to continue practicing extreme ownership of your actions, individual readiness, equipment, and responsibilities that affect IWO JIMA’s material and operational readiness.
Homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, the ship serves as a cornerstone of the Amphibious Ready Group and Expeditionary Strike Group, projecting power and maintaining presence supporting combatant commands around the globe.Since Iwo Jima‘s 2001 commissioning, the ship has supported major U.S. foreign aid and combat operations.
The ship’s motto, “Uncommon valor was a common virtue,” is quoted from Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz while reflecting on the bravery and tenacity of the Marines and Sailors who fought the Battle of Iwo Jima, the ship’s namesake.
During the 1945 battle, three divisions of U.S. Marines took control of a tiny island from more than 20,000 enemy defenders. Twenty-seven U.S. service members were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima, more than any other single operation during World War II.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2026 12:35 |
| Story ID: | 570597 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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