The USS Tulsa, which is homeported at Naval Base San Diego, has a new commander, the U.S. Navy announced Tuesday.
Cmdr. Audry Oxley took over as the Independence-variant littoral combat ship’s commander on Monday. Previously, Oxley had served as the ship’s executive officer.
“I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to lead Tulsa’s sailors once more,” Oxley said. “I look forward to continuing the work of integrating Tulsa into the fleet.”
Cmdr. Drew Borovies relinquished command of the USS Tulsa for the first time since it was commissioned in February.
According to the Navy, he spent two full years as the ship’s commander as it progressed through certification. He will take over command of the USS Omaha, which also is ported in San Diego.
“This opportunity of bringing a new ship and her crew into the Navy has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” Borovies said. “To see Tulsa operational, on the waterfront, part of the fleet and crewed by the finest sailors in the Navy has been, frankly, amazing.”
The ship is the second in the Navy’s history to bear Tulsa’s name, succeeding an Asheville-class gunboat that operated from 1923 to 1944. The elder USS Tulsa operated near Australia and the Philippines during World War II before being renamed the USS Tacloban.
The USS Tulsa currently serves as part of an aquatic mine countermeasure unit with the USS Manchester and the USS Charleston.
– City News Service
