SASEBO, Japan (May 17, 2019) – From left to right: Vice Adm. Phillip Sawyer, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Rear Adm. Bradley Cooper, offgoing commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7, oncoming commander, ESG 7, and Cmdr. Steven Stougard, chaplain of USS Wasp (LHD 1), salute the parade of colors aboard amphibious assault ship Wasp during an Amphibious Force 7th Fleet change of command ceremony, May 17. Commander, Amphibious Force 7th Fleet is the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force, headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa, Japan, and is responsible for the full range of expeditionary operations from disaster relief to crisis response in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication 1st Class Jeremy Starr/Released)
AMPHIBIOUS FORCE 7TH FLEET CHANGE OF COMMAND