USS Jackson (LCS 6) Holds Change of Command Ceremony

by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kassandra Alanis

22 July 2026
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

U.S. Navy Cmdr. John N. Wagoner was relieved by U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jim McLaughlin as commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) during a change of command ceremony held aboard Jackson while pierside at Naval Base San Diego, July 22. U.S. Navy Capt. James H. Hoey, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, was the presiding officer and U.S. Navy Capt. Brain C. Bungay, commanding officer, Naval Base San Diego, was the guest speaker at the ceremony.

During Van Wagoner's time in command, Jackson successfully served as a premier training ship helping forge the readiness of the fleet by completing basic, advanced, and integrated phase events for five different crews.

During the ceremony, Hoey awarded Van Wagoner the Meritorious Service Medal for his superior accomplishments and Van Wagoner will be reporting to the headquarters of Allied Maritime Command.

“They ran the blue and gold crews of USS Canberra, USS Savannah, USS Santa Barbara, and USS Tulsa through the gauntlet from Tier I and Tier II basic phases, to ISATTs, to MOB-E certs, and SWATTs that included live fire with a purpose events,” said Bungay. “You guided multiple crews through their Independent Deployer Certifications and Sustainment Exercises, took Sailors who were preparing for the fight, and gave them the platform and the leadership they needed to become lethal, ready, and certified.”

Van Wagoner, a native of Annapolis Md., attended the United States Naval Academy where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English. Additionally, he is an alumnus of the University of California, San Diego’s School of Global Policy, attaining a master’s degree in International Affairs with a specialization in Asia-Pacific policy in 2020.

“My command philosophy over the last several years has been a simple one, first, we take care of each other, a warship is a hunk of metal without Sailors breathing life into it every day, we bring the best versions of ourselves to the ship every day, the power of pragmatism is infectious, even if we're faking it,” said Van Wagoner. “My personal motto that I forced upon you-we keep moving forward, because while the past contains useful memories and lessons, opportunity lies in what's ahead."

Jackson 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.