Capt. Beau V. Duarte (left), the outgoing commading officer of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 passes over the squadron colors to Lt. Col. Charles S. Gray (right) during the Sept. 9 change of command ceremony. (U.S. Navy photo) NAS In a blend of Navy and Marine Corps tradition, Capt. Beau V. Duarte, transferred the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-23) colors to Lt. Col. Charles S. Gray during change-of-command ceremonies Sept. 9 at Hangar 115, here. A brass band and the sounds of bagpipes from the Chesapeake Caledonian Pipes and Drum Corps added unusual flair to the ceremony. The guest speaker, Rear Adm. David Dunaway, Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force, Norfolk, opened his remarks by calling for a round of applause for the members of the VX-23 Salty Dog team, some of whom were standing in formation while others were scattered throughout the audience. Dunaway s speech focused on the importance of competency, character and compassion as it applies to leadership, a lesson he said he learned from the U.S. Naval Academy leadership instructor. Page 1 of 5
As he defined these three important characteristics of an American leader, he applied them to Duarte and Gray. Competence is being good at the task at hand. He defined Character as the ability to sort out right and wrong. Compassion includes the ability to motivate people around you. Duarte and Gray, according to Dunaway, embody these three characteristics. He pointed out specific aspects of their compassion, as well as their dedication to family. Dunaway said the large showing of family and the distances they traveled to be in attendance as evidence of that dedication. As he began his final address to the members of VX-23, Duarte acknowledged the contributions of the entire Salty Dog team. The first order of business was presenting the Hazelrigg Award to the F-35 Integrated Test Force. This award, given at the conclusion of each VX-23 commanding officer s tenure is given in recognition of the test team whose professionalism, leadership and team spirit best commemorate the invaluable contributions of Captain Steven A. Hazelrigg, who was the chief test pilot of VX-23 when he was killed in an A-6E Intruder flight test accident in 1990. In addition, he presented LT Stephen Krum with the inaugural Jordan Paganelli Inspirational Leadership Award. This award was established to recognize the Junior Officer whose impact on the personnel and mission of VX-23 best embodies the qualities of selfless dedication to others, uncommon courage in the face of adversity, infectious optimism, and motivational leadership. This award was established in honor of Jordan Scott Paganelli, who died ten months ago after a 23-month battle with a rare form of sarcoma cancer. Duarte said, Jordan s relentless struggle, honestly and faithfully chronicled by his father and VX-23 Executive Officer, Cmdr. John Paganelli, touched and inspired thousands in Saint Mary s County and around the world as he valiantly fought his disease with the utmost grace, courage and dignity. His greatest legacy to us is not the tragedy of an early death but rather, the celebration of a full life, he added. Once the awards were presented, Duarte thanked his wife and three daughters for their support. Reflecting on his tenure in the squadron, first as the chief test pilot and finally as the commanding officer, he pointed to the aircraft on display in the hangar. One hundred years ago this November, Eugene Ely piloted his Curtiss A-1 Triad pusher aircraft off the deck of the USS Birmingham, and he logged the first trap on the USS Pennsylvania two months later, he said. Then, pointing at the Joint Strike Fighter, he added, And, look where we are now. Page 2 of 5
Duarte gave several examples of the challenges the squadron faced in the past few years. He recalled last April when he sat in a hangar at Andrews Air Force Base as President Barack Obama, halfway through his speech on energy security, turned and said, That is the Green Hornet, and the Navy is going to fly it supersonic on Earth Day in three weeks using a biofuel blend. At this point, we hadn t even received the biofuel to start the flight test program, Duarte explained. But our project and maintenance team got to work, methodically but expeditiously executing the test flights, analyzing the test data, and incrementally opening up the flight envelope such that when Earth Day arrived, we were able to safely execute the flight test event, meeting all test public objectives. Yet as impressive as all of these aircraft are, the true treasure of VX-23 lies not in the hardware surrounding you, but rather in the scores of men and women populating the back ranks and scattered throughout the audience, Duarte said. The professionalism and steady performance of these remarkable individuals have allowed us to successfully execute our mission of safe, efficient, and effective flight test, and have made my time in command an absolute privilege and joy, he added. No task has been too great or challenge too daunting for this team, often in the face of intense programmatic or public scrutiny. As he concluded his remarks, he and Gray proceeded to the front of the official platform to transfer the squadron s colors signifying the official passing of leadership responsibility for the squadron. Afterward, Duarte s orders were read aloud. His follow-on assignment is to augment the Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft in PMA-265. It is an honor and a privilege to stand before you today having been given this humbling opportunity to Command VX-23, said Gray after receiving the squadron s colors. Gray punctuated his speech with several personal stories. He illustrated how he felt about assuming command with a story of an encounter with a ten-year-old boy that occurred several years ago in while he was on an out-n-in flight to Charleston and was waiting on the fuel truck. As I was waiting I saw a family, a mom, dad and three boys, standing by the FBO building, tentatively looking towards the F/A-18 that I had flown in on. So I waved them over and spent about 15 minutes walking them around the airplane and talking about what I do and what the mission of our squadron is. As he was walking them back to the FBO building, the middle one of the boys said, You must feel so honored to be able to serve your country the way you do. Page 3 of 5
His words took me back, Gray said. They ve stayed with me ever since, and they have never rung more true than they do today. Focusing on the squadron, Gray said, Every day, this squadron exists to save the lives of our men and women who must engage the enemy by providing them a better, safer and easier way to prosecute and if necessary eliminate that enemy. The easier way is from the climate controlled cockpits of the aircraft that you see around you, and in the not too distant future, from unmanned Strike Aircraft that we will test and develop right here. The easier way is a naval aviator, employing the precision weapons and aircraft that are the result of the work that takes place at VX-23. A Navy Seal or Marine Infantryman, assaulting the objective while crawling on his knees, with his weapon in his hands and steel in his heart, is not the easy way. As he concluded his first address as the commanding officer to the VX-23 Salty Dog team, he pledged to stand by the members of the squadron. I will provide both friendship and council and encourage everyone in this command that there is no goal that is too high or task that is unachievable, he said. I will strive to provide a center of gravity that pulls us towards doing the right things for the right reasons. And if during this time we can inspire one youth to service to country, restore the gleam in one veteran s eye and most importantly deliver one capability that helps to save the life of even a single American or coalition member on the battlefield, we will have succeeded. That is this commander s Intent, and I know that VX-23, stands -- Ready to execute. Page 4 of 5
Members of the Chesapeake Caledonian Pipes and Drum Corps add flair to the VX-23 change of command ceremony. (U.S. Navy photo) Page 5 of 5