Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) conducted a change of command on the ship's flight deck during a sunrise ceremony, while transiting the Eastern Mediterranean Sea April 10.

Cmdr. Milciades "Tony" Then relieved Cmdr. Frank E. Brandon as Mitscher's commanding officer during the ceremony.

Quote:
"Assuming command of USS Mitscher is the proudest moment of my professional life. I have been looking forward to this moment since I was a midshipman at the Naval Academy." - Cmdr. Milciades "Tony" Then, USS Mitscher commanding officer.

Quick Facts:
*The ceremony marked the end of an 18-month tour for Brandon, who will now report to COMNAVAIRPAC Sea Component for duty. Brandon commanded the ship through its pre-deployment work-up cycle. Mitsher is currently serving as an independent deployer alongside the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group in both the U.S. 5th Fleet and U.S. 6th Fleet areas of operation.

*Under Brandon's command, Mitscher conducted multiple missions during the deployment that reinforced maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts, including, an underway engagement with the Turkish navy, an international mine countermeasure exercise, a ballistic missile defense exercise, a squadron exercise, a joint air defense exercise, and exercises Spartan Kopis, and Iron Magic; Operation Active Endeavor and Operation Inherent Resolve.

*Cmdr. Then, hailing from Miami, joined the Navy June 1991 as a undesignated fireman. In 1992, he was accepted to the Broadened Opportunities for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) program and was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997 and then went on to serve as the anti-submarine warfare officer aboard USS Cape St. George (CG 71). Then also served as an individual augmentee in Bogota, Colombia, as part of 1st and 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group; as Chief Engineer aboard Donald Cook (DDG 75); as commanding officer of Patrol Craft Crew Lima aboard USS Sirocco (PC 6); as flag secretary and aide to Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and as joint training liaison to U.S. Joint Forces Command J7 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

*Prior to taking command, Then served as Mitscher's executive officer for 18 months as part of the Navy's executive officer/commanding officer (XO/CO) fleet-up program. Then will command Mitscher as it returns to its homeport in Norfolk later this year. The ship is slated to participate in Harborfest, PROTRAMID, midshipmen training, and will take part in more ballistic missile defense exercises before pulling into the yards for combat systems upgrades.

*Mitscher, homeported in Norfolk, is currently conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.

*U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/.