NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO (Jan. 11, 2023) Commodore Darren Grogan, Royal Australian Naval Attaché to the United States, promoted Royal Australian Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Luke Brewer to Chief Warrant Officer aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30), Jan. 11.

Brewer is an exchange officer from the Royal Australian Navy currently assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) based in San Diego.

“The promotion of a Senior Chief Petty Officer to Warrant Officer is a proud and significant moment,” said Grogan. “In this instance, the honor to promote an Australian senior enlisted sailor on a United States Ship that will hold the same name as the Australian Capital offers such a unique opportunity and highlights the strong and enduring ties between the Royal Australian Navy and the United States Navy.”

Embedded within the SWRMC combat systems alignment team, Brewer and his team ensures radars, sensors, and weapon systems are all aligned to meet mission requirements and operational tasking. Brewer joined the Royal Australian Navy in 2002 and served aboard Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and was on the commissioning crew of the Hobart-class air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart (DDG 39).

“I can’t think of any better way to recognize Senior Chief Brewer’s significant milestone and monumental achievement than to have this symbolic ceremony performed on the USS Canberra,” said Capt. John Bauer, commanding officer of SWRMC.

Canberra is the second U.S. ship to be named in honor of the Australian capital city. The first was the heavy cruiser-turned-guided missile heavy cruiser USS Canberra (CA-70/CAG-2), named in honor of the HMAS Canberra that sank during the Battle of Savo Island in World War II.

Homeported in San Diego, Calif., Canberra is a part of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. The ship is scheduled to officially join the fleet and conduct their commissioning ceremony later this year.

Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

For more news from Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/comlcsron1/ or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/.

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