Carrier Strike Group 9 Holds Change of Command

by Lt.Cmdr. Robert Reinheimer

13 June 2025 SAN DIEGO (June 13, 2025) – Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9 held a change of command ceremony aboard the strike group flagship, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) onboard Naval Air Station North Island, June 13.

Rear Adm. Wilson Marks relieved Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander as commander, Carrier Strike Group 9 in a ceremony presided over by Vice Adm. John Wade, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet.
“The achievements of Carrier Strike Group 9 over two years are never the result of one individual but the collective efforts of thousands,” said Alexander during the ceremony. “To the sailors of this strike group, your hard work, your expertise, your unwavering commitment to excellence have been the foundation of everything we accomplished during this extended period. Thank you for your long hours, your sacrifices and your dedication. I depart Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group with immense pride with complete confidence in the strike group’s future under Rear Adm. Marks.”

Alexander’s previous assignments include Maritime Operations Center director for U.S. 3rd Fleet, legislative fellow on the staffs of the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations, and on the Joint Staff. At sea, Alexander commanded USS Sampson (DDG 102), USS Princeton (CG 59), the Surface Warfare Schools Command, and Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center.
Alexander assumed the role of Commander, Carrier Strike Group 9 in June 2023.
Alexander’s tour with Carrier Strike Group 9 was highlighted by a nine-month deployment in 2024 which included operations in U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th fleets in support of global maritime security operations. In 7th fleet, Carrier Strike Group 9 supported regional security and participated in exercise Valiant Shield 2024 along with numerous bilateral and multilateral maritime exercises, to include Freedom Edge – the first iteration of a new, multi-domain trilateral exercise between the U.S., Japan and Republic of Korea. CSG-9 then transited to U.S. 5th Fleet to strengthen U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.

Marks reports from his position as commander, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, where he also relieved Alexander previously. Ashore, he served as the Deputy for Combat System and Warfighting Integration at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and as the Executive Assistant to the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet. At sea, he previously commanded USS Mason (DDG 87), USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) formerly named USS Chancellorsville, Provincial Reconstruction Team Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, and Naval Surface Group Western Pacific.
“Our mission is simple, we must be combat ready on arrival whenever and wherever our nation needs us,” said Marks. “We will accomplish that by maintaining high standards, having a team of teams approach and working together to enable the best in every single one of us. I am humbled to be your commander, and I am fired up to get after this task with each and every one of you.”
Carrier Strike Group 9 is composed of Theodore Roosevelt, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, Destroyer Squadron 23 and the guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65).
CSG 9 provides a combat-ready force to protect and defend the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its global allies and partners. They are based in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations.

As an integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic and relevant training necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s timeless role across the full spectrum of military operations—from combat missions to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. 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, in crisis, and in conflict.

For more information about Carrier Strike Group 9, please visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/ccsg9/ and https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/COMCARSTRKGRU-9.