Cmdr. Scott Dancer relieved Cmdr. Gregory C. Ludwig as commanding officer of Center for Surface Combat Systems Unit (CSCSU) Great Lakes during a change of command ceremony, June 30 at Naval Station Great Lakes.

Dancer previously served in the enlisted ranks as a data systems technician and was commissioned under the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program, surface electronics designator January 1999. His most recent assignment was combat systems officer (CSO) aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).

Other assignments include USS Ford (FFG 54) as electronics readiness officer; Commander, Carrier Strike Group 6 as electronics material officer; and USS Momsen (DDG 92) as EMO and CSO.

Ashore, Dancer served as N4 and N6 at Regional Support Organization Pacific Northwest; Naval Recruiting District Seattle executive officer, training officer, and officer recruiter; and Naval Ocean Processing Facility Whidbey Island as N6.

"There's a lot of momentum at CSCSU right now; I look forward to working with each and everyone of you looking for areas that we can improve to train our Sailors in preparing them for the fleet," said Dancer.

Ludwig, a 35-year Navy veteran, served as CSCSU CO since March 2014. He previously served in the enlisted ranks as a communications and navigation technician and was commissioned as a LDO ensign August 1995.

Other assignments include USS Lake Erie (CG 70), USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS George Washington (CVN 73), and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).

Shore assignments include Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Diego Garcia, as base communications officer; U.S. Southern Command, Miami SCJ6 Directorate, as the current operations branch communications systems officer; and at the Office of Security Cooperation, Iraq, as site lead Umm Qasr.

Capt. Bill McKinley, commanding officer for Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS), served as the guest speaker for ceremony.

"Cmdr. Greg Ludwig's performance at CSCS Unit Great Lakes has been exemplary," McKinley said. "Great Lakes is the largest unit in the CSCS domain, with an annual Sailor throughput of 10,000 students and a staff of 309 military, civilian and contracted personnel. While in command, Greg has transformed CSCSU Great Lakes, making the curriculum more relevant to the fleet and setting the bar high for both instructors and students."

Ludwig led a staff of more than 300 military, civilian and contracted personnel in providing training and apprentice-level instruction to over 20,000 Sailors at the Navy's largest technical learning site.

"I have been privileged to have this command and many thanks goes to each and everyone of you under my charge," said Ludwig. "I could not of done this job without all of you. We worked together as a team and I'm very proud to serve as a member of that team."

In addition, he led the charge of the inaugural and highly successful Operations Specialist and Interior Communications Electrician Strategic Ratings Review, a strategy to define and modernize both training continuums. Ludwig inspired a team of 79 experts from 51 shore and fleet commands to develop courses of action to analyze these critical enlisted ratings, and provide recommendations to meet fleet requirements.

McKinley finished by saying, "As Greg moves into retirement, the Navy will miss his leadership. Fair winds and following seas!"

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