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INDIAN OCEAN (July 14, 2023) – During a traditional U.S. Navy change of command ceremony, there are so many steps to remember that it can feel to participants like the event is going 1,000 miles an hour. But when Capt. Michael “Pup” Sweeney turned command of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 over to Capt. Patrick S. Corrigan while mid-air in two F/A-18 Hornets on July 14, they really were.
Carrier Air Wing 5 is embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 while at-sea in the Indian Ocean.
During the airborne event, Sweeney, Corrigan and Rear Adm. Pat Hannifin, commander of CSG 5, flew in formation and talked through the ceremonial change of command using the jets’ radios.
Sweeney left the flight deck of USS Ronald Reagan as the air wing commander, and Corrigan landed in the role a short time later.
“It has been an honor to serve with the men and women of Carrier Air Wing 5, the Navy’s only forwarded deployed carrier air wing,” said Sweeney, a native of Arlington, Virginia. “There is no harder job in carrier aviation than serving in the forward deployed forces, but there is also no job more rewarding than serving in the forward deployed forces. The Sailors of Team Badman are a big part of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which I am extremely proud of.”
Carrier Air Wing 5, consists of nine squadrons and 81 aircraft, is forward-deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, and deploys annually on USS Ronald Reagan.
“I am grateful to our host nation of Japan for the support provided to our Sailors and their families,” said Sweeney. “It has been a privilege for me and my family to experience the culture and to travel the country.”
Sweeney, who joined the air wing as its deputy commander in November of 2020 before taking over as commander in February of 2022, will move on to serve at U.S. Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
“My wife Erin and I would like to thank Pup and his wife Tisha for their leadership and guidance over the past three years,” said Corrigan, a native of Miller Place, New York, who has served as the air wing deputy commander since February of 2022. “Together they have created an amazing and resilient family among the entire Badman Team and we hope to build on their success. I couldn't be more proud and excited to take command of the most capable air wing in the U.S. Navy as we transition to the air wing of the future. Carrier Air Wing 5 will continue to be America’s 911 air wing.”
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2023 08:53 |
| Story ID: | 449200 |
| Location: | INDIAN OCEAN |
| Hometown: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 508 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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