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CVW-17 Holds Airborne Change of Command

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060502-13
5/2/2006

By Journalist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jerry Foltz, USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, At Sea (NNS) -- Capt. Troy Shoemaker relieved Capt. William Massey as Commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 during an aerial change-of-command ceremony May 1, over the Caribbean Sea.

CVW-17 is embarked aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) and is based out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.

During the ceremony, Shoemaker flew in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 and Massey an F/A-18C Hornet from VFA-81. They flew in formation above GW and performed several aerial fly-bys before meeting in the air side by side. Massey and Shoemaker exchanged words of encouragement before transferring command before Commander, George Washington Carrier Strike Group, Rear Adm. Joseph Kilkenny, who was listening close by from the primary flight control (Pri-Fly) tower.

“It was great and went well,” said Shoemaker. “It gave me a real feel of the excellence that Air Department puts out every day.”

Due to a change in official orders, the dates of the change of command had to be pushed up to allow for time.

“We normally do this back at the base around family and friends,” said Shoemaker. “But we had to push this up by three months, putting us in the deployment arena.”

This timeline gave the two captains an opportunity to perform the time-honored tradition of a mid-air turnover.

“CAG (the air wing commander) and I figured if we were going to do this, it had to be in the air,” said Shoemaker. “That’s what we represent.”

Afterwards, Shoemaker and Massey were honored at a reception hosted by Kilkenny in GW’s Wardroom 3. Kilkenny took time to congratulate Shoemaker on his new position within the strike group and sent Massey off with a fond farewell, thanking him for the three years of service with CVW-17 since reporting as deputy commander in July 2003.

Massey’s next duty station will be with Carrier Air Wing 9, homeported in Lemoore, Calif., where he will be the carrier air wing commander.

CVW-17 is composed of VFA-11, VFA-81, Carrier Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron (VS) 22, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121 and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 7.

CVW-17 is currently serving with GW in “Partnership of the Americas,” a maritime training and readiness deployment of U.S. Naval forces with countries from the Caribbean and Latin America, in support of U.S. Southern Command objectives for enhanced maritime security.