Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 held a change of command ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, Oct. 5.

Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans relieved Rear Adm. Kenneth R. Whitesell and assumed duties as CSG-2 commander.

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran, noted Whitesell and Evans' contributions to the Navy and those under their commands.

"What both of these guys have in common is their passion for people," said Moran. "All these machines, weapons and technology we have to bear is worthless without great people to man them. These two guys have had a lot to do with the goodness of the people that are in the Navy today."

Whitesell, who assumed command in March 2016, led the strike group through a demanding work-up cycle and a seven-month deployment to the U.S 5th and 6th fleet areas of responsibility.

Whitesell, a graduate of Old Dominion University, read his orders while being relieved by Evans, a graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.

"I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead this great team," said Evans. "I promise you, I will give everything that I have to the mission and the Sailors and families of our strike group."

During the ceremony, Whitesell credited the success of his tour to the teamwork of the warfare commanders and the hard work that the Sailors gave before, during and after deployment.

"My thanks to the major commanders, ship and squadron commanding officers," said Whitesell. "You focused on the job at hand, were inspirational leaders to your Sailors and brought success to our deployment. It was clear our adversary evolved, and you had to evolve faster."

At the close of the ceremony, Evans addressed the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group that the task at hand is to build and maintain combat readiness.

"You don't have to spend much time watching events being reported in the news to know that the world remains a dangerous place, filled with uncertainty," said Evans. "We stand ready as America's strike force. In a crisis we must be able to surge forward and do whatever is necessary to defend our nation."

The flagship of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), departed Naval Station Norfolk Jan. 21 along with the nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, Destroyer Squadron (CDS) 22 staff, and the guided-missile cruisers and destroyers USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), USS Hue City (CG 66), USS Laboon (DDG 58) and USS Truxtun (DDG 103). During the deployment, Bush traveled 56 thousand miles and dropped more than 1.7 million pounds of ordnance in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

The ship is in port in Norfolk, Virginia, conducting routine maintenance after a seven-month deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

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