Photos

DESRON 7 Holds Change of Command Ceremony on USS Charleston

220902-G-TW079-675 SINGAPORE (Sep. 2, 2022) Capt. Tim LaBenz, right, relieves Capt. Tom Ogden as commodore of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 during the change of command ceremony aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) in Singapore, Sept. 2, 2022. Charleston, part of DESRON 7, is on a rotational deployment, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. As the U.S. Navy’s destroyer squadron forward-deployed in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of littoral combat ships rotationally deployed to Singapore, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7’s Sea Combat Commander, and builds partnerships through training exercises and military-to-military engagements. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Aux. David Lau)