USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) Holds Change of Command Ceremony

by Courtesy Story

31 May 2024
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Cmdr. Yilei Liu relieved Cmdr. Joseph M. Foster as the commanding officer of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) during a change of command ceremony on May 31.

Foster looked back on his time onboard Curtis Wilbur and reflected on the hard work and dedication of her crew.

“The crew of Curtis Wilbur is the heart and soul of the ship.” Foster said on his farewell speech to the crew onboard USS Curtis Wilbur.” Their professionalism and dedication make Curtis Wilbur the lost lethal ship in our Navy.

Foster commanded USS Curtis Wilbur from September 22, 2022 to May 31, 2024 during which USS Curtis Wilbur conducted a dry docking availability that renewed the material condition of the ship, and rescued two mariners at sea.

“Our competitors should be nervous when they see Steel Hammer on the horizon. It has been an honor to serve as your captain,” said Foster.

Liu takes command as the ship transitions from a long yard period basic phase and makes preparations to enter the advanced phase ahead a deployment next year.

“I have been amazed by your fighting spirit as you prepare Curtis Wilbur for combat,” Liu said. “At a time when our nation needs a fighting ship, a lethal ship, a ready ship, I am humbled and proud to have the opportunity to stand here among all of you, and together we are going to get the ship ready to answer that call.”

Liu, a native of Wuhan, China, graduated from UCLA in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and received his commission through the NROTC program. He also holds a Master of Science in Systems Engineering with Distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. Previously he served as the Executive Officer of USS Halsey (DDG 97) in San Diego, California.

USS Curtis Wilbur is homeported in San Diego and part of the U.S. 3rd Fleet, which leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet works in close coordination with other numbered fleets to provide commanders with capable, ready forces to deploy forward and win in day-to-day competition, crisis, and conflict.