CDR Phillip C. Herndl

Past Commanding Officer, USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) Blue Crew

01 August 2022 Cmdr. Phillip Herndl is a native of Durham, North Carolina. He enlisted in the Navy as a nuclear propulsion officer candidate and earned a commission through Officer Candidate School. Herndl holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Masters of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.

At sea, he served as combat information center officer and visit, board, search, and seizure boarding officer aboard USS Hawes (FFG 53), reactor mechanical division officer aboard USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75), operations officer aboard USS McFaul (DDG 74), and main propulsion assistant aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).  He most recently served as executive officer of USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) Blue.

Ashore, he served as joint operations directorate action officer, Flag Aide to the commander, and junior board member on the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board at U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and as watch commander at the Joint Force Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, U.S. Strategic Command.

He assumed command of USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) Blue in July 2022.

Herndl served with teams earning four Battle “E” Awards. His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (seven awards). He is a recipient of the Surface Navy Association Admiral Arleigh Burke Surface Warfare Operational Excellence Award.