NAS Corpus Christi Hosts Change of Command Ceremony

The U.S. Naval Air Training Command (NATRACOM) held a change of command ceremony on board Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, July 2.

Rear Adm. Dell Bull relieved Rear Adm. Roy Kelley as the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) at a ceremony held at the air station’s Catalina Club.

Kelley, the outgoing Chief of Naval Air Training, reflected on his two-year tour in Corpus Christi.

One of the best aspects of the position, he claimed, was the caliber of men and women serving in NATRACOM.

Rear Adm. Dell Bull told attendees that he looks forward to meeting each member of the supportive South Texas community.

He echoed Rear Admiral Kelley in affirming that “What we do here at CNATRA is so important to the future of Naval Aviation” and expressing enthusiasm for his selection for a job that “truly allows us to leave our fingerprints on the future of Naval Aviation.”

Bull joins CNATRA from his position as the Chief of Staff at Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) in San Diego, Calif, CNATRA’s superior command. CNAF, Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, attended the ceremony as guest speaker.

Shoemaker went on to congratulate Kelley on his role in helping more than 2,500 Pilots and Navy Flight Officers earn their “Wings of Gold” and graduate to fleet squadrons, many of whom are now serving on aircraft carriers in support of strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and in missions around the world.

Rear Adm. Kelley will join the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) as Commander, Carrier Strike Group TWELVE. The Theodore Roosevelt is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations conducting maritime security operations.

CNATRA conducts and oversees all aviation training for the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and international partners at five training air wings located across three states. It also oversees the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels.

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Image: US Navy