Amphibious Squadron THREE Changes Command

by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kristopher Haley

21 April 2021 GUAM -- GUAM – U.S. Navy Capt. Henry Kim assumed command of Amphibious Squadron THREE (CPR 3) from Capt. Stewart Bateshansky during a ceremony held aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) April 20.

Bateshansky assumed command of CPR-3 in January 2020, and will go on to serve at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

“We expected to be here in the Pacific,” said Bateshansky. “ARG and MEU together. However, the entire journey from that day to now, nothing went according to what was drawn up, what we expected. But yet here we are, finishing with the precision and style this team has built over that time.”

As CPR-3 commanding officer, Bateshansky guided warships under his command through all phases of advanced and integrated training and deployment, and led the amphibious ready group during the COVID-19 pandemic, assisting the first west coast ship to suffer from an outbreak while away from homeport. He led the crew of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group while underway in the U.S. 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas of operations and was awarded the Legion of Merit.

“I am proud to be able to take over your legacy and I promise to continue and build upon what you have made here,” said Kim. “Along with the PHIBRON 3 staff, I feel really well prepared to take over what we have all built. My goal here is to get you home on time and safely. I’m here to serve you; I am here to serve the Sailors and the Marines of the ARG.”

Kim commissioned in 1996 through the Naval ROTC program at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received a bachelor’s degree in international relations. He holds a dual master’s degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School and a master’s degree in defense systems and technology from the National University of Singapore. He previously served as Commander, Mine Division TWELVE in San Diego.

The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations as part of a scheduled deployment to the region. As the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet routinely operates and interacts with 35 maritime nations while conducting missions to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific Region.