Captain John Lucas relieved Captain Justin Hodges as the commanding officer of the US Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg during a recent at-sea change of command ceremony.
Hodges assumed command in February 2023 and led the crew throughout the workup cycle leading to the ship’s deployment on September 23, 2024, to the US European and Central Command (CENTCOM) areas of responsibility as the Air and Missile Defense Commander for the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG).
Hodges was in command of Gettysburg when the ship mistakenly shot down a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter aircraft during operations in the Red Sea within CENTCOM's area of responsibility on December 22, 2024.
Both crewmembers of the aircraft were rescued. One suffered minor injuries following the incident, which CENTCOM described as an "apparent case of friendly fire."
During the same incident, Gettysburg had also mistakenly fired a missile on a second Super Hornet, though the missile missed by 100 feet (30 metres) and the aircraft did not sustain damage.