PITI, Guam –
Commander, Task Force (CTF) 75 held a change of command ceremony at Polaris Point, Friday, June 17.
Capt. Shaun Lieb relieved Capt. Gareth Healy as the commodore of CTF 75 - Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific, which is the U.S. 7th Fleet’s primary expeditionary task force, responsible for the planning and execution of maritime security, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, exploitation, expeditionary logistics, engineering and construction, and underwater construction throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
The time-honored tradition also coincided with the end of Exercise Valiant Shield 2022, where CTF 75’s 1,300 expeditionary Sailors showcased their ability to conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis, multi-domain effects that demonstrated the strength and versatility of Joint Force capabilities in Guam, Palau, and Tinian.
Rear Adm. Robert Clark, vice commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, presided over the ceremony and praised Healy for his bold and creative leadership.
"To the men and women of CTF 75, you are truly [the] fighting Sailors who enable access and presence across this critical theater," said Clark. "The work you do, the routes you clear, the infrastructure you build, the vessels you protect, the areas you secure and make accessible have important consequences throughout the Indo-Pacific."
During his time in command, Healy successfully re-engaged the task force to a position of strategic relevance in the theater following the curtailing of many missions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He led a multi-disciplined team in the execution of Operation Lightning Salvage—the successful safeguarding and recovery of the F35C Lightning aircraft wreckage from a depth of 12,400 feet in the South China Sea.
His innovative thinking resulted in enhanced Seabed/SubSea activities, implementation of a theater exploitation capability, and increased Naval integration with both I and III Marine Expeditionary Forces.
"The CTF's success is a direct reflection of Gareth's commitment to excellence in ensuring his distributed expeditionary force has the necessary fighting power to effectively enable access, reach and lethality," said Clark.
Healy, who departs Guam for a new role at OPNAV, focused his remarks on the collective successes of the team.
"It has been a true and humbling honor to lead this very capable Navy Expeditionary Task Force at a strategic turning point," said Healy, who also recognized several Sailors for their exemplary service.
“Each of our Tasks Groups can stand alone and be counted as delivering high output in their respective capabilities – engineers, overwatch, logisticians, targeteers, and EOD operators—but as we saw these past few weeks, it is an awesome power to combine these professionals and put them to task in this AO,” said Healy.
Lieb, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer and comes to Guam from U.S. Special Operations Command on the east coast of the U.S.
“We’re tasked with clearing, securing, building, and protecting through the persistent employment of dynamic naval combat power, and if tasked, conduct decisive, sustained combat operations,” said Lieb. “Task Force 75 is postured and ready to rapidly respond to the many challenges that lay ahead in this dynamic theater and I consider myself exceptionally lucky that I get to be a part of it and now wear ‘75’ on my arm.”
CTF 75 provides expeditionary combat capabilities in the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet area of operations. CTF 75 is capable of providing the fleet with diverse expeditionary warfighting capabilities that are combat-ready and able to deploy anywhere in U.S. 7th Fleet in response to any contingency. The Navy's expeditionary forces exist first and foremost to support the fleet's warfighting operations and are the Navy's sea-to-shore interface.