Theater Undersea Surveillance Command Pacific (TUSC PAC) held a change of command ceremony in Oak Harbor, Washington, July 13, 2023.

Cmdr. Andrew Thompson from Mahomet, Illinois, relieved Cmdr. Jonathan Nelson, from Lake Orion, Michigan, as commanding officer of TUSC PAC during the ceremony.

Nelson was presented the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his distinguished naval service and commitment to the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) mission. During his time in command, he led a command of 425 U.S. Navy, Canadian Forces, and U.S. government civilians which provided valuable acoustic cueing support to Pacific theater commanders in order to maintain maritime awareness and undersea dominance.

Capt. Steven Faulk, Commander, Undersea Surveillance was the guest speaker at the ceremony.

“Commander Nelson’s sound leadership was an invaluable asset to our Nation’s security,” said Faulk. “Providing a space for professional development and personal growth, his mentorship allowed the nearly 400 Sailors and personnel in his charge to focus effectively on the maritime surveillance mission. Congratulations on an incredibly successful command tour.”

When addressing the command, Nelson said, “TUSC PAC is in great hands with Commander Thompson at the helm. I am confident in his ability to continue TUSC PAC’s legacy of acoustic excellence and to enable robust maritime domain awareness.”

TUSC PAC is one of three components within IUSS, providing accurate anti-submarine warfare reporting and cueing to operational forces and conducting continuous maritime surveillance for homeland security in the Pacific area of operations.