190429-N-JK101-596 SAN DIEGO (April 29, 2019) Cmdr. Audry T. Oxley, from Lamar, Colorado, gives her first speech as the commanding officer of the littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16) during a change of command ceremony aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship. Littoral combat ships are high-speed, agile, shallow draft, mission-focused surface combatants designed for operations in the littoral environment, yet fully capable of open ocean operations. As part of the surface fleet, LCS has the ability to counter and outpace evolving threats independently or within a network of surface combatants. (U.S. Navy photo by Ens. Melissa L. Spoerl/Released)