Cmdr. Geoffrey P. Bowman relieved Cmdr. Shawn M. Kern as commanding officer of the “Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115 during an airborne change of command ceremony in airspace above Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), Sept. 28.
Upon returning to the U.S., Kern will assume the duties of director of test and evaluation for F-35 Naval variants at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, where he will play a key role in bringing the joint strike fighter to the fleet.
Bowman’s command tour is just the latest in a long career as a naval officer. He previously served with the “Raging Bulls” of VFA-37 before being selected for an instructor billet with the “Rough Raiders” of VFA-125. Bowman went on to become a landing signal officer with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 prior to his department head tour with the “Sunliners” of VFA-81. He currently has more than 2,400 F/A-18 hours and 680 carrier landings.
Since its founding in 1942 as Torpedo Squadron (VT) 11, VFA-115 has left its mark flying in every major U.S.-involved conflict in recent history, seeing combat at Okinawa and Leyte Gulf in World War II, Inchon and Chosin Reservoir in Korea, the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam, and Operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. The Eagles were the first squadron to employ the F/A-18E Super Hornet in combat, an aircraft they continue to fly to this day as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces in Atsugi, Japan.
The Eagles are one of the nine squadrons of CVW-5 embarked aboard George Washington, which is currently on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of operations, providing security and stability that protects the collective interests of the U.S. and its partners and allies in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
[mappress] Press Release, October 07, 2014; Image: US Navy