VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story held a change of command ceremony on Thursday.
Capt. Michael L. Witherspoon relieved Capt. Joey L. Frantzen as the sixth Commander of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.
Attendance was limited to abide by safety precautions and the ceremony was streamed on the JEBL Facebook page. The presiding officer of the ceremony was Rear Adm. Charles W. “Chip” Rock, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic.
“They say the power of a team is unleashed by the strength of the leader’s commitment and this statement has never been so true than here at Little Creek-Fort Story,” Rock said during the ceremony in support of Frantzen and Witherspoon’s leadership. “True leaders are the first to see the need, envision the plan, and empower the team for action.”
Witherspoon’s most recent assignment was Future Plans at Military Sealift Command in Norfolk.
His personal awards include the Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and various unit and service awards.
“For the entire JEB team, there are two things that are extremely important to me and I ask of you each and every day,” Witherspoon said. “Positive attitude and effort. If you maintain a steady strain on those two things on a daily basis, the success will follow.”
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (Jun. 25, 2020) Capt. Michael L. Witherspoon (right) prepares to receive the command flag from Capt. Joey L. Frantzen (left) as the sixth Commander of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort Story (JEBLCFS) during a Change of Command ceremony, Jun. 25. Also present: Rear Adm. Charles W. Rock, Commander Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (back) and JEBLCFS Command Master Chief Karl W. Parsons (front). Witherspoon, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, received his commissioning in 1995 through the Officer Candidate School, Pensacola, Florida as part of the first Seaman-to-Admiral Program. (U.S. Navy photo by ENFA Dana Desoma/Released) 
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (Jun. 25, 2020) Capt. Michael L. Witherspoon relieved Capt. Joey L. Frantzen as the sixth Commander of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS), Jun. 25. Witherspoon, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, received his commissioning in 1995 through the Officer Candidate School, Pensacola, Florida as part of the first Seaman-to-Admiral Program. (U.S. Navy photo by ENFA Dana Desoma/Released) 
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (Jun. 25, 2020) Capt. Michael L. Witherspoon (center) is piped onboard through the side boys as the sixth Commander of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story at the conclusion of a Change of Command ceremony, Jun. 25. Witherspoon, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, received his commissioning in 1995 through the Officer Candidate School, Pensacola, Florida as part of the first Seaman-to-Admiral Program. (U.S. Navy photo by ENFA Dana Desoma/Released) 
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (Jun. 25, 2020) Capt. Michael L. Witherspoon (left), Commander, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS) salutes Rear Adm. Charles W. Rock, Commander Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (right) during a Change of Command, Jun. 25. Also present: Capt. Joey L. Frantzen (back). Witherspoon, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, received his commissioning in 1995 through the Officer Candidate School, Pensacola, Florida as part of the first Seaman-to-Admiral Program. (U.S. Navy photo by GM1 Michelle Pavelka/Released)
