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DESRON 21 Holds Change of Command Ceremony

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS091223-03
Release Date: 12/23/2009 8:02:00 AM

By Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Kelly

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Destroyer Squadron 21 (DESRON 21) held a change of command ceremony at Naval Base San Diego Dec. 18.

Capt. Lisa M. Franchetti relieved Capt. Kerry P. Gilpin.

"A commodore is not a commanding officer, but a leader of commanding officers," said Rear Adm. Robert P. Girrier, vice commander, Naval Mine and Anti-submarine Warfare Command. "(The commodore is) an orchestrator, a warfighter, an operator, a trainer, a planner, a mentor to the ships' commanding officers and an employer of forces. It's all about leadership and your individual professional skill, because your qualities are amplified and spread to those units under your command,"

During his tenure as sea combat commander for the John C. Stennis Strike Group, Gilpin commanded and managed four ships, more than 150 officers, 1,200 Sailors and more than $4 billion worth of military weaponry. He also led in the first deployment of the MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters from the "Raptors" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71.

Girrier noted Gilpin's performance during a major exercise off Okinawa, Japan. The premise of the exercise was to see how well an aircraft carrier and its escorts could defend itself against six submarines.

"He did so well that they (submarines) didn't get any shots off on him at all. On the contrary, he made multiple attacks on those subs," said Girrier. Additionally, Gilpin led multilateral operations, working with the Japanese Maritime Defense Force during the 2008 Rim of the Pacific exercise. Gilpin also operated with the Republic of Korea, Navy Task Squadron 51.

"The way I see it, the commodore's job comes down to two things; tactical excellence at sea and support for the ships in port," said Gilpin. "I thought that at the beginning that if I did those two things, then the tour would go well, and it looks like we may have done that."

"I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to take command of DESRON 21," said Franchetti. "Commodore Gilpin and his staff have done a fabulous job, and I am really looking forward to following on in those same traditions that they've created."

Franchetti's assignments include auxiliaries officer and first division officer aboard USS Shenandoah (AD 44); navigator and jumboization coordinator on USS Monongahela (AO 178); operations officer aboard USS Moosbrugger (DD 980). Franchetti also served as combat systems officer and chief staff officer for DESRON 2, executive officer aboard USS Stout (DDG 55), assistant surface operations officer with the George Washington Strike Group, and she commanded USS Ross (DDG 71).

Franchetti is the 49th commander of DESRON 21. The squadron consists of five destroyers; USS Kidd (DDG 100), USS Preble (DDG 88), USS Milius (DDG 69), USS Dewey (DDG 105), and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), and one frigate USS Jarrett (FFG 33), which currently serves as sea combat commander for the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group.

For more news from U.S. Naval Surface Force, visit www.navy.mil/local/surfor.