USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) Conducts Change of Command

by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kassandra Alanis

17 July 2026
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Linzy Lewis III was relieved by U.S. Navy Cmdr. Blake Wanier as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) during a change of command ceremony held onboard USS Montgomery (LCS 8), July 17. Capt. James H. Hoey, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, was the presiding officer and guest speaker at the ceremony.

During Lewis’s time in command, Santa Barbara successfully completed a deployment supporting Operation Epic Fury, operating across the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations in a single seven-month period.

During the ceremony, Hoey awarded Lewis the Meritorious Service Medal for his superior accomplishments throughout his tenure as commanding officer. Lewis will be reporting to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One.

“Your success isn’t just measured in operations and exercises, it’s apparent in the culture you built,” said Hoey. “You led with a clear vision, warships exist to fight and win at sea, and everything we do should support this truth.”

Lewis, a native of Houston, Tx., attended the United States Naval War College where he earned a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies.

“My job description: I am the commanding officer of the most lethal, best trained, most prepared LCS to have ever patrolled 5th Fleet,” said Lewis. “For the last 250 days I had the pleasure of leading the most resilient, toughest Sailors that the Navy has produced.”

Santa Barbara 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.