Capt. Colin Price relieved Capt. Matthew Kiser and assumed duties as the ship’s commanding officer in a ceremony aboard the ship. Vice Adm. J. T. Anderson, commander of U.S. Sixth Fleet, and Striking and Support Forces NATO, presided over the ceremony and delivered remarks about Kiser’s time aboard the Mount Whitney.
“One unique aspect of serving as the commanding officer of the U.S. Sixth Fleet flagship is how the ship and crew represent the U.S. Navy in Europe and Africa, participating in many exercises, key leader engagements, and strengthening our relationships with allies and partners,” Anderson said. “Capt. Kiser built a great team that accomplished all we could ask of them.”
Kiser, a graduate of Texas A&M University and a native of Bedford, Texas assumed command in April 2023. During his tour, he led the flagship of U.S. Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO while participating in several exercises and activities, including Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2023 and 2024, Large Scale Exercise (LSE) 23, as well as support to Joint Task Force 406 as it conducted multi-national maritime crisis response and contingency planning.
During his speech that he gave in the change of command ceremony, Kiser credited the success of his tour to the hard work that Mount Whitney Sailors exhibited.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our Team 20 Sailors and Civil Service Mariners, and their achievements over the last two years,” Kiser said. “It has been a privilege as commanding officer to witness the hard work and dedication in supporting command and control exercises and activities with our partner branches in the U.S. armed forces and our allies in NATO.
“My time is highlighted by the efforts of Team 20 that went into demonstrating our new capability to support two separate staffs embarked simultaneously while each were engaged with their own mission – on the only ship that can do this in the world. I am eager to watch the ship’s continued progress over the next several months as the Mount Whitney gets back out to sea.”
Price is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in systems engineering. He was commissioned in 2001, and designated a Naval Aviator in January 2004.
As a junior officer he was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137 in Lemoore, California, with deployments embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), and as a global war on terror support assignment as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operator in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
In August 2005, he participated in Joint Task Force Katrina providing humanitarian assistance to the citizens of New Orleans. In 2015, after completion of Navy Nuclear Power training he was assigned as the 25th executive officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).
“I want to express my sincere congratulations to Capt. Kiser for a job well done and for the great service he did for our nation and Navy,” Price said. “It is an honor and pleasure to assume the watch from you. I promise to take exemplary care of your Sailors and ship.”
Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) is the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, homeported in Gaeta, and operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners.
This "USS Mount Whitney Holds Change of Command" was originally found on https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Term/3087/
