Commander of Navy Ship Involved in F/A-18 Friendly Fire Incident Turns over Command
Capt. Justin Hodges was relieved as the commanding officer of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser during an uncommon "at-sea" change of command ceremony on Jan. 30, the statement said.
Despite several ongoing investigations into the friendly fire incident looming over the ship and its crew, Navy officials said Hodges was leaving the ship under regular circumstances and that the change of command was occurring on schedule.
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However, other details surrounding the change of command -- details that could offer insight into whether the ongoing inquiries into the mishap that left a F/A-18 Super Hornet destroyed at the bottom of the Red Sea impacted Hodges' future in the Navy -- were not immediately available.
Navy officials at the Pentagon couldn't immediately say if Hodges received an "end of tour award," a commendation that is largely considered traditional in all but the most egregious of circumstances, or where Hodges' next duty station was following his time aboard the Gettysburg.
According to service data provided to Military.com by the Navy, Hodges had been the Gettysburg's commander since February 2023.
He had previously served aboard the aircraft carriers USS Eisenhower and USS Nimitz.
On Dec. 22, the USS Gettysburg crew fired on an F/A-18 that had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, destroying the aircraft and forcing its two aviators to eject.
One of the two sailors suffered minor injuries.
The U.S. military was conducting airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels at the time.
Since then, few details have been released about the incident and the investigations are still ongoing. However, the Navy's top aviation officer said in mid-January that officials have already done "a big debrief, basically, to make sure we know what happened and why."
The Navy's statement on Hodges' change of command made no reference to the incident.
Hodges' awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals and a Navy Achievement Medal, according to records provided by the Navy.
"Serving as the commanding officer of this extraordinary crew has been the privilege of a lifetime," Hodges said in the statement.
Meanwhile, the Gettysburg's new commanding officer, Capt. John Lucas, said "what struck me most about this crew was your attitude and resiliency."
"I am motivated, honored, and humbled to be your commanding officer," Lucas said.
Related: Navy Leaders Say Faster Training Is Key Lesson Learned from Red Sea Conflict
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