By Ensign Caleb Robinson, USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) Public Affairs
Cmdr. Tom Ogden relieved Cmdr. Ryan Collins as commanding officer of USS Chung- Hoon (DDG 93) during a change of command ceremony held May 22.
Collins served as commanding officer from Oct. 31, 2013. His tour included a six-month dry-docking availability, a basic phase training schedule, and culminated with a group sail exercise with Carrier Strike Group Three in preparation for a western Pacific deployment. Collins will be assigned as the operations officer for Carrier Strike Group Three.
Ogden was the executive officer of Chung-Hoon from October 2013 until April 2015 when he was relieved by Cmdr. Vic Sheldon. The ship is at the peak of the training cycle, and Ogden will lead Chung-Hoon through the remaining integrated and advanced tactical portion of the cycle in preparation for deployment.
“The guidance and support that Cmdr. Collins provided me throughout his tour has been invaluable,” Ogden said. “I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead the crew of Chung-Hoon through the challenging and exciting times that the next few years hold.”
Collins spoke of his memories regarding his three-year tour on Chung-Hoon and thanked the crew, his mentors and his family for their support throughout. “It has been my great honor to be your captain for the past few years,” Collins said.
“The success of this ship would not have been possible without each of your contributions, and I will always be grateful for the role Chung- Hoon played in my career and in my life,” he said.
Chung-Hoon continues through training and work-ups for another integrated strike group exercise and deploy later in 2015.