Farewell address from Commander of the U.S. 7^th Fleet

On July 2, VADM YUASA Hideki, Commander of the Self-Defense Fleet, received a farewell address from VADM William R. Merz, Commander of the U.S. 7^th Fleet, at the Maritime Operations Center.
As Commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet for about one year and 10 months from Sep 12, 2019, VADM Merz has contributed to enhance interoperability between the Self-Defense Fleet and the 7^th Fleet and to improve the deterrence and response of the Japan-U.S. alliance. In addition to his farewell address, retired VADM KASUI Hiroyuki, former Commander of the Self-Defense Fleet, is presented The Legion of Merit from Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense for his services during his term.
The Self-Defense Fleet will continue to work closely with VADM Karl Thomas, assumed the next Commander of the 7^th Fleet on July 8, maintains ready to immediately respond against any contingencies, safeguards the peace and security of Japan and contributes to support stability of the Indo-Pacific region.