Cmdr. Jenna Van Zeyl became the first Gold crew commanding officer of Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) during an assumption of command ceremony aboard the ship, Oct. 7.

Van Zeyl, a native of New Lenox, Ill., was previously the executive officer of Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59), and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in astronautical engineering.

“This is a significant moment for Savannah Gold as we embark on a transition to train, certify, and prepare for our on-hull operational tasking”, said Van Zeyl. “I am honored to lead this crew and excited to use our expertise and skills to drive long-lasting success for the years to come.”

Savannah, assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron ONE, is the most recently commissioned Independence-variant LCS, and is currently located in San Diego, California. Littoral combat ships are fast, agile, mission-focused platforms designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS are support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

For more news from Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/comlcsron1/ or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/