New commanding officer introduced

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Capt. Karl Thomas officially replaced Capt. John Alexander as the USS Lincoln's commanding officer in a ceremony Friday.

Alexander has served as commanding officer since January 2010 and his next assignment will be working as an Assistant Commander for Career Management at the Navy Personnel Command in Tennessee.

"This crew and this strike group team have been enormously successful," Alexander said. "It has been that way for one reason and one reason alone: a collective selfless commitment to excellence."

Thomas' last assignment was at the Pentagon with the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

“This crew has answered the call twice, in short succession, and they have answered it with professionalism and zeal," Thomas said. "That winning culture and enthusiasm will be extremely important as we enter the next phase of ABE’s life"