Vice Adm. Jeffrey Anderson has officially assumed command of the U.S. 6th Fleet and the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), following a change of command ceremony held aboard USS Mount Whitney in Naples, Italy.

Anderson succeeds Vice Adm. Thomas E. Ishee, who led the fleet through a series of critical maritime operations and partnerships across Europe and Africa.

The ceremony, presided over by Adm. Stuart Munsch, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, highlighted Ishee’s achievements during his tenure. Adm. Munsch praised Ishee’s leadership, stating, “You led thousands of Sailors from 15 different countries, hundreds of ships, submarines and aircraft effectively, and advanced our warfighting advantage at every opportunity.”

Under Ishee’s command, the U.S. 6th Fleet strengthened alliances, improved readiness, and played a key role in humanitarian missions, such as assisting Turkish earthquake victims in 2023.

One of Ishee’s significant accomplishments was the establishment of Joint Task Force 406 (JTF 406), a maritime crisis response command within U.S. European Command (EUCOM). The task force was created to maintain mission readiness, build relationships with allies, and deter threats in the region.

Reflecting on his time as Commander, Ishee said, “The U.S. 6th Fleet proudly stands as an independent and adept force, capable of projecting power across the maritime domain.”

Vice Adm. Anderson, who previously served as Director of Operations for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, outlined his vision for the fleet, acknowledging the challenges ahead. “All eyes are on U.S. Sixth Fleet, and the challenges facing the region will test us on a daily basis,” Anderson said.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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DB
DB (@guest_858526)
18 hours ago

Am I the only one who mis-read the headline?

EmJay
EmJay (@guest_858534)
18 hours ago
Reply to  DB

Nope!

Greg Smith
Greg Smith (@guest_858544)
16 hours ago
Reply to  DB

Paedocrats 🐹🦄🌈 for you, anything goes now. 👍🏿

Saccharine
Saccharine (@guest_858654)
8 hours ago
Reply to  Greg Smith

Do you have brain damage?

Nimrod
Nimrod (@guest_858545)
16 hours ago
Reply to  DB

No. I did too. I read this as another example of a senior US Navy officer being relieved of their command due to incompetence. This is clearly not the case here.

Marked
Marked (@guest_858550)
16 hours ago
Reply to  DB

No. Expected to read about someone’s career sinking.

Crabfat
Crabfat (@guest_858569)
15 hours ago
Reply to  DB

Same here! Perhaps should have read “Anderson assumes command of Sixth Fleet”

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_858577)
14 hours ago
Reply to  DB

No. Exact same as the others.

AlexS
AlexS (@guest_858668)
5 hours ago
Reply to  DB

Well we did not misread. It is written in a way that implies precisely that.

Vitali Druzhinin
Vitali Druzhinin (@guest_858686)
5 seconds ago

Congratulations to the Vice Admiral Jeffrey Anderson on assumption of the US 6th Fleet direction.US UK and especially AUKUS ALLIANCE now are viral maritime forces to fight off looming aggressions on land and sea.God save our King Charles III and illumine US President Biden to lead the armies in battle in full readiness