USS Kansas City (LCS 22) Conducts Change of Command

by Lt. Brinn Hefron

27 February 2026
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

Cmdr. Lou Mann III was relieved by Cmdr. Tom Hoffman as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Kansas City (LCS 22) during a change of command ceremony held onboard Naval Base San Diego, Feb. 27. Capt. James H. Hoey, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, was the presiding officer and guest speaker at the ceremony.

During Mann’s time in command, Kansas City served as LCSRON One’s training hull. Mann's leadership instilled excellence in his own crew while he simultaneously led, mentored and trained four other LCS crews through their certification exercises in order to deploy.

“Lou, since taking command of Kansas City, you have understood something essential about leadership at sea: that purpose is forged in necessity. A ship underway has no excess: no spare hands, no spare time, no spare margin. Every Sailor matters. Every watch matters. Every decision matters,” said Hoey. “Lou, you should be incredibly proud of the course you have set — not only for USS Kansas City, but for the crews you prepared to deploy. Thank you for a job exceptionally well done.”

During the ceremony, Mann was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his superior accomplishments and will be reporting to the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center

“I am extremely proud of this crew individually and collectively. As individual Sailors and technicians and experts you were all top-notch. But as a crew, you came together and performed well beyond all expectations,” said Mann. “Being your CO was a true honor and something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

Mann, a native of New Jersey, enlisted in the Navy in 1997 as a Nuclear Machinist’s Mate. In 2005, he earned his commission through the Seaman to Admiral-21 program.

Kansas City is homeported in San Diego and assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century 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 https://www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/.