The Golden Swordsmen of Patrol Squadron (VP) 47 held a change of command ceremony at Naval Air Station II in Sigonella, Sicily, April 22, 2015.
During the ceremony, Cmdr. Matthew Rutherford was relieved as commanding officer of VP-47 by Cmdr. Erik L. Cyre.
Rutherford deployed as the VP-47 executive officer to Sigonella in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 4th and 6th Fleet areas of operations (AOO) in 2013. He assumed command in 2014, and he deployed again to Sigonella, conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe in 2015.
VP-47 is currently deployed to Sigonella, Sicily; Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti; and Souda Bay, Greece, conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.
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Image: US Navy