U.S. Navy Relieves Top Officers On Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery

The two top U.S. Navy officers onboard the littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) have been relieved of their command due to a “loss of confidence,” the Navy said in statement.

Capt. Marc Crawford, Commander for Surface Division Eleven, relieved Commander Richard J. Zamberlan as Montgomery’s commanding officer, along with his second in command, Commander Phillip Lundberg as executive officer, on December 30.

The Navy’s statement said the two officers were relieved due to “a loss of confidence in their ability to command,” but did not provide specifics on what led to the action.

A Navy official with knowledge of the situation told the Navy Times that their firing was due their handling of a sexual harassment investigation.

Commander Dustin Lonero, from USS Coronado (LCS 4), is assigned as commanding officer until a permanent relief is identified. Zamberlan and Lundberg will be reassigned to Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Commander, Surface Division Eleven is the first division of the Littoral Combat Ship fleet to be designated with a specific warfare focus. The division includes USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), and USS Omaha (LCS 12).