The commander of Navy expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4) was removed from command, U.S. 6th Fleet announced on Monday.
Capt. Lenard Mitchell was reassigned from command of Williams, “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” by U.S. 6th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee.
“The relief occurred as a result of an investigation into the soft grounding of Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams near the port of Libreville, Gabon on May 9, 2024,” reads the statement. “While the investigation is still open, sufficient findings of fact emerged during the investigation to warrant the relief of the commanding officer.”
Mitchell, who has commanded Williams’ Gold Crew since late 2022, has been reassigned to Naval Surface Forces Atlantic pending the completion of the investigation. Capt. Michael Concannon has taken command of the ship.
The soft grounding occurred following the opening ceremonies of the Obangame Express 2024 exercise off the west coast of Africa.
Williams “ran aground May 9, 2024, around 1p.m. [GMT], shortly after leaving port from a routine port visit to Libreville, Gabon. The ship broke free about 5p.m. [GMT] at high tide. No injuries or major damage were reported from the grounding,” reads a statement from NAVEUR.
The ship is stationed at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece. The hull is based on an Alaska-class oil tanker and one of three forward-deployed sea bases.
“The ship is capable of conducting expeditionary missions, counter piracy, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The ship operates with blue and gold crews, allowing it to remain continually deployed throughout AFRICOM,” reads a statement from NAVEUR.
The following is the complete statement from U.S. 6th Fleet.
NAPLES, Italy – Vice Adm. Thomas E. Ishee, Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet / Commander, Task Force SIX relieved Capt. Lenard C. Mitchell as the commanding officer of USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command. Capt. Mitchell served as commanding officer of the Gold Crew since Nov. 20, 2022.
The relief occurred as a result of an investigation into the soft grounding of Hershel “Woody” Williams near the port of Libreville, Gabon on May 9, 2024. While the investigation is still open, sufficient findings of fact emerged during the investigation to warrant the relief of the commanding officer.
The U.S. Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standard and takes action to hold them accountable when those standards are not met. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships.
Capt. Mitchell will be temporarily assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic. Capt. Michael Concannon will assume duties as interim commanding officer onboard Hershel “Woody” Williams. There is no impact to the command’s mission or schedule due to the relief.
The Hershel “Woody” Williams, a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base is currently forward deployed to U.S. Naval Forces Africa.
