The crew of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) hosted its first change of command May 7, while moored at Naval Base San Diego.

In front of a crowd of close to 200 guests and nearly 500 crew members in ranks, Capt. Michael W. Baze relieved Capt. Robert A. Hall Jr. as commanding officer. The formal ceremony consisted of a performance from U.S. Navy Band Southwest and the colors were presented by a joint color guard of Navy and Marine Corps service members.

Mrs. Lynne Pace, the ship's sponsor, was in attendance and introduced a video created by the ship's mass communication specialists. The video was presented in lieu of a keynote speaker during the ceremony. The video highlighted America's journey from Ingalls Shipbuilding to San Diego, as well as the ship's commissioning and various at-sea evolutions.

The event marked the end of a successful tour for Hall who served as commanding officer from March 2012 through May 2015. Hall reflected on his experience as the ship's first skipper and gave his perspective on America's journey from christening to commissioning.

"It's been the greatest honor of my life to serve on board a ship named after our great country with all you great Americans," said Hall.

He also recognized the importance of support from America's loved ones.

"I want to say thank you to all the spouses and families that have supported us over these past years," said Hall. "They helped us to stay focused on our mission. It's very hard to express how much their love and support has meant to the crew."

Baze, who served as America's executive officer, expressed his thanks to Hall and America's first Command Master Chief Chad Lunsford for beginning the legacy of this unique platform.

"What makes America, the ship, really unique, special and different is our crew," Baze said. "The climate is amazing. People know they are part of something special. They want to do the right thing. They stand up and take action when needed, and everyone wants to contribute."

Baze addressed the crew during his speech, stating that having the opportunity to serve as their commanding officer will be one of the finest honors and privileges of his life.

"It is difficult to imagine any job, service or experience topping this. I ask that you continue to give the same energy and commitment to the ship, our crew and our nation as you have done so well thus far," said Baze. "I promise that I will give all I have to protect the ideas enshrined in our Constitution; placing our mission, ship and crew before all personal considerations. The nation expects nothing less."

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a post-reception in the ship's hangar bay where Hall placed the command-at-sea pin on Baze, symbolizing the leadership transition.

America (LHA 6) is the fourth ship named "America" and the first ship of its class, replacing the Tarawa-class of amphibious assault ships. It is optimized for aviation and will be capable of supporting current and future aircraft, such as the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. The ship was designed with additional aviation spaces and provides increased aviation capacity, including an enlarged hangar bay, the realignment and expansion of aviation maintenance facilities which provide a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity.

For more news from USS America (LHA 6), visit www.navy.mil/.

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