Change of command on the frigate "Sachsen"

From a press release by the Rostock Naval Command:

On Friday, 8 July 2022 at 9 a.m., the commander of the 2nd Frigate Squadron, Captain Torben Jürgensen (46), will hand over command of the frigate "Sachsen" from Frigate Captain Phillipp Vögtle (43) to his successor Frigate Captain Thomas Liebert (44).

Frigate Captain Vögtle took command of the "Sachsen" in October 2019 and has since experienced a lot with the F124 class ship and its crew. "My time on the frigate 'Sachsen' showed me once again how important it is that people take centre stage, even in turbulent material or political times. The men and women of the ship have defied countless odds and obstacles over the past two and a half years, which makes me particularly proud to have led them," said the outgoing commander. In future, the naval officer will serve as a consultant in the Strategy and Operations Department of the Federal Ministry of Defence in the area of military intelligence.

His successor, Frigate Captain Liebert, is no stranger to Einsatzflottille 2. He has already served in various roles on the F122 and F123 class frigates, most recently as chief officer on the frigate "Bayern" in 2019. In his last assignment, Liebert served as Deputy Head of Division in the Strategy and Operations Department at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Berlin. "Being able to command the frigate 'Sachsen' is my dream assignment," says the 44-year-old. "Even as a young lieutenant captain, the performance of this weapon system made a lasting impression on me, including when I was able to actively accompany the 'Sachsen' on exercises with a US aircraft carrier group on the east coast of the United States in 2007," the future commander continued.

The new commander of the frigate has defined his task as follows: "It is now my responsibility to pursue the path taken by my predecessor with continuity and perseverance. Although the next scheduled shipyard laytime is already looming on the horizon, there is still plenty of scope for promoting the individual operational capability of each and every soldier. However, the main focus of my term of office, which is just beginning, is to strengthen the German naval forces in the Baltic Sea region after the summer holidays - and this is, of course, a team task as always. I am therefore looking forward to the challenges ahead and especially to the men and women of the 'Sachsen'."