The Navy announced Friday that Capt. Carl Meuser assumed command of the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego, which is based at its namesake city.
Meuser succeeded Capt. John Menoni in a ceremony Thursday aboard the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum. Menoni, who commanded the San Diego during its maiden deployment, was skipper for about a year and a half.
Meuser, an Oklahoma native, previously commanded the destroyer USS Higgins and was executive officer of the cruiser USS Antietam.
"I look forward to go down to the sea with our ship, in the prime of our lives, and doing something bigger than ourselves — something of which we can be proud of for the rest of our lives," Meuser said.
He began his Navy career as a journalist, serving with the Navy Broadcasting Detachment in Keflavik, Iceland, and as the independent duty journalist on USS Portland, an amphibious landing dock ship. He later gained his commission after graduating from the University of Oklahoma.
The San Diego, the fourth Navy vessel to bear the name, is currently undergoing extended maintenance at the BAE Systems shipyard on San Diego Bay.
