SAN DIEGO – Capt. Aaron Taylor, a native of Carlsbad, California, successfully completed his tour as commanding officer of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex.
“Commanding Essex has been the pinnacle of my Navy career, I can’t imagine anything will top it,” said Taylor. “Once Essex decides to tackle a challenge, there is nothing stopping this crew from achieving success.”
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| Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaak Martinez, U.S. Navy photo |
Capt. Wayne Liebold relieved Taylor as commanding officer of Essex during a traditional change of command ceremony held below the ship in the Pride of California Dry Dock at BAE Systems in San Diego on Aug. 10.
Taylor, the 25th commanding officer of Essex, has led the crew since May 2022 and will go on to serve as the director of operations at U.S. Pacific Fleet at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Rear Adm. Randall Peck, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, served as presiding officer over the ceremony.
“Aaron, after your tour, having burnished this ship’s lasting legacy of greatness, perseverance and toughness, we would all be wise to ‘Take Notice’ of the great things happening aboard this mighty warship,” said Peck.
As commanding officer, Taylor led Essex through multiple ship-based qualifications and events such as a Board of Inspection and Survey assessment; Los Angeles Fleet Week; the biennial, multinational exercise Rim of the Pacific 2022 and a Docking Selected Restricted Availability phase where critical maintenance and system updates took place.
“I have been astounded by the willingness of our sailors to grind through discomfort and fatigue, achieving superb results on every major assessment, inspection and certification event,” said Taylor. “It is awe inspiring to witness the exacting competence and relentless hustle to excel.”
USS Essex, commissioned Oct. 17, 1992, is the second of the U.S. Navy’s Wasp class of amphibious assault ships. It is the fifth ship to share its namesake, dating back to the frigate launched in 1799. USS Essex carries the motto “Take Notice.”
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