The Commanding Officer of Future USS Augusta (LCS 34) Assumes Command

by Courtesy Story

13 December 2022 SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES -- Cmdr. Christopher Polnaszek became the first commanding officer of future Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Augusta (LCS 34) Blue crew during an assumption of command ceremony on Naval Base San Diego, Dec. 13.

Augusta, assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron ONE, is pierside in Mobile, Ala., at Austal USA’s Gulf Coast shipyard. The ship will be christened on Dec. 17 by its sponsor, the Honorable Leigh I. Saufley, and commissioning is scheduled for late 2023.

"I am grateful for the support of my family, humbled at the opportunity to lead the outstanding Sailors of Augusta Blue crew, and honored to be the first commanding officer of Augusta,” said Polnaszek. “Our ability to work as a team, demonstrate resiliency, and trust in each other, will set the foundations of all our future success. This team- Augusta Blue crew - will be ready to deter our competitors around the globe.”

Polnaszek, a native of Charleston, S.C., was previously an Integrated Air Missile Defense warfare tactics instructor, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in oceanography.

Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

For more news from Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/comlcsron1/ or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/.
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