LCS 20 change of command

GULFPORT, Miss. - The Independence-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), held a change of command on the ship’s flight deck at the Port of Gulfport, Miss.'s west pier Oct. 3. Cmdr. Jedediah Kloppel assumed command of the ship from Cmdr. Kurt Braeckel, who completed a successful 17-month commissioning command tour with Cincinnati, training and preparing the crew to bring the ship to life Oct. 5. Braeckel completes a 20-year naval career and will retire from active service in January 2020. Kloppel recently served as executive officer of USS Cincinnati, which was built at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. (Source: USS Cincinnati 10/04/19) LCS 20 will be commissioned at Gulfport on Oct. 5.