Naval Surface Squadron Five Holds Change of Command

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dawson Roth, U.S. Fifth Fleet Public Affairs | June 11, 2020

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN --

Commander Naval Surface Squadron Five (CNSS 5) held a change of command ceremony onboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain June 11, 2020.

Cmdr. Samantha A. Dutily relieved Capt. William Snyder as commander of CNSS 5 in a ceremony held on the NSA waterfront, while following COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Vice Adm. Jim Malloy, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, presided over the ceremony and highlighted the accomplishments achieved during Snyder’s tenure as commanding officer.

“Over the past year Snyder and his team have worked tirelessly to meet and raise already high standards of readiness in an area of operations with an extremely high operational tempo and no-fail mission,” said Malloy. “They oversaw the execution of 225 training and certification events, and six final battle problems throughout the sustainment and basic phases of our FDNF [forward deployed naval force] ships to ensure all of our forces remained ready for operational tasking.”

Snyder thanked his family, the CNSS 5 staff, and the commanding officers of 5th Fleet’s FDNF ships.

“You are at the front lines here in 5 Fleet,” said Snyder. “You and your crews do amazing work out here every day - in the heat and dust - and you get the job done.”

Snyder and Dutily then exchanged salutes officially marking the changing of command authority.

After assuming command, Dutily thanked her family and told the CNSS 5 staff that she is looking forward to leading them.

CNSS 5 serves as the surface type commander's executive agent in Bahrain and provides support to 10 Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships and four Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO).