Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station to change commanders tomorrow morning

The following information was released by the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

Capt. Tripp Hardy will relieve Capt. Terry Auberry as the Commanding Officer of Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in a traditional change of command ceremony here June 22.

The 10 a.m. invitation-only event will be held at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach parade grounds. Guest speaker will be Rear Admiral Dixon Smith, the Commander of Navy Region Southwest.

Hardy brings with him 28 years of Navy experience. His previous tours include command of the guided missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102), as Executive Officer of the guided missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga (CG 47), and as an Assistant Naval Advisor in the U.S. Department of State. His most recent tour was as the Surface Operations Officer and Current Operations Officer of Strike Force Training Pacific.

Auberry, who is set to retire after nearly 38 years of service, leaves an impressive legacy. During his tenure, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach received multiple Navy-wide awards for safety, environmental stewardship, energy and water management, and housing operations. Earlier this year, it was announced that the weapons station had been awarded the 2012 Installation Excellence Award for Small Installations, giving it bragging rights as the best small base in the U.S. Navy.

“I can’t imagine a better end to my career than with what our Seal Beach team has been able to accomplish,” said Auberry. “The awards and accolades belong to all of the outstanding Sailors, Navy civilians and contractors I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I will definitely leave here knowing the base is in good hands.”

Commencing operations in 1944 as a U.S. Naval Ammunition and Net Depot, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is the Pacific Fleet’s premier ordnance loading and storage installation. The base services approximately 50 United States Navy vessels annually.