Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey J. Murawski relieved Capt. Lyle D. Hall as commanding officer of guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69) during a July 1 change of command and administrative control transfer ceremony.

"It is an honor to take Vicksburg through this next chapter of her storied career," said Murawski. "It will be difficult following the hard work that Capt. Hall and his great crew have accomplished over the last three years."

Vicksburg is the second Mayport-based cruiser to transfer administrative control to Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command for Cruiser Modernization. This process is utilized to extend the current life span of guided-missile cruisers by replacing aging, legacy technology and equipment throughout the ship. The modernization process is Congressionally-mandated and requires two cruisers each year to enter a modernization period that will not exceed four years.

"It has been an amazing honor to lead the officers and crew of Vicksburg for the last 37 months," said Hall. "They have excelled beyond belief and tackled every challenge with superior professionalism. This crew truly is America's finest sons and daughters."

During Hall's tenure as commanding officer, the crew successfully completed an extensive maintenance period and an accelerated training cycle in order to serve as flagship for Standing NATO Maritime Group 2.

Murawski, who previously led USS Ardent (MCM 12) and USS Sentry (MCM 3) while serving as commanding officer of Mine Countermeasures Crew Bulwark, will now command Vicksburg as part of NAVSEA and guide her through the Cruiser Modernization program.

To support the transformation, Vicksburg will shift homeport to Norfolk, with a reduced crew of roughly 50 Sailors who completed the ship's previous deployment. This crew will remain aboard during the modernization process as departmental subject matter experts to ensure optimal readiness when Vicksburg returns to the operational fleet.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS Vicksburg (CG 69), visit http://www.vicksburg.navy.mil or http://www.facebook.com/ussvicksburgcg69.

For more news from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, visit http://www.navy.mil/.