Chief of U.S. Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens visited commands onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola Jan. 6-7.
The visit served to provide the senior leaders an overview of aviation training, as well as an opportunity to tour the littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2). The ship is operating out of the station while the crew conducts operational evaluation and testing of the mine countermeasures mission package.
The CNO and MCPON were greeted by Commander Naval Education and Training Command Rear Adm. Mike White, Chief of Naval Air Training, Rear Adm. Dell Bull and NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Keith Hoskins. As part of the visit, they saw flight simulators used by student aviators at squadrons under Training Air Wing Six (CTW 6).
During the tour of Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) they saw how instructors use a blend of standard and electronic classrooms with hands on lab work to train aviation support and maintenance specialists. Included in the visit were the structural mechanic metal fabrication, power plants engine and ordnance laboratories. NATTC is the Navy’s largest training command with an annual student throughput of approximately 15,000 Sailors and Marines.
Richardson and Stevens also toured USS Independence berthed at NAS Pensacola while engaged in ongoing training exercises in the Gulf of Mexico.
NAS Pensacola hosts and supports the operational and training mission of several tenant commands that total more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.
Image: US Navy