The Navy has made a leadership change aboard the littoral combat ship Santa Barbara during its deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet, installing Blue Crew executive officer Cmdr. Jeff Steiner as temporary commanding officer, with Gold Crew commanding officer Cmdr. Linzy Lewis scheduled to take command on Sept. 12, according to a service statement.
The Navy said the decision will not alter the ship’s mission or timeline. Cmdr. Ochs, who became Santa Barbara’s commanding officer on Nov. 22, 2023, has been temporarily reassigned to Commander, Naval Surface Group Southwest.
Service officials emphasized their expectations for leadership performance and accountability. Santa Barbara continues operations in 5th Fleet, a region covering roughly 2.5 million square miles that includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, as well as key maritime chokepoints at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb.
Littoral combat ships use a rotational Blue/Gold crew model to sustain forward presence, enabling one crew to assume command as another completes a deployment or maintenance period.
