The Navy has relieved the commanding officer of the USS Santa Barbara, the service announced Thursday.
Cmdr. Adam Ochs was removed from his position by Capt. Kelley Jones, commander of Task Force 55, on Thursday, “due to a loss of confidence” in Ochs’ ability to command the littoral combat ship, the Navy said in a brief release.
“The Navy maintains the highest standards for leaders and holds them accountable when those standards are not met,” the release said.
The release did not provide additional details on what led to Ochs’ dismissal, but the service typically uses “loss of confidence” as a blanket statement when dismissing senior leadership.
Ochs, who assumed his role as USS Santa Barbara’s commanding officer on Nov. 22, 2023, has been temporarily reassigned to commander of Naval Surface Group Southwest, according to the release.
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Blue crew executive officer Cmdr. Jeff Steiner has temporarily assumed command of the littoral combat ship. Gold crew commanding officer Cmdr. Linzy Lewis is expected to assume command Friday, the Navy said.
Ochs’ departure will not affect the “mission or schedule” of the ship, which is currently on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, according to the release.
U.S. 5th Fleet’s jurisdiction includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Ochs, a career surface warfare officer, previously served aboard the USS McInerney, USS Princeton and USS Leyte Gulf, according to his Navy biography. He’s also served as an AEGIS Training and Readiness instructor; an action officer on the OPNAV staff for the director of Navy Plans, Policy and Integration; and an assistant chief of staff for administration and flag secretary to the commander of Carrie Strike Group 10.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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