Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Jessica Smith | Col. Ricardo Martinez, the incoming Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., commanding...... read more read more
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YUMA, Ariz. - Every great legacy must have an ending, and so it was when Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, witnessed the final pages in the chapter of one of its finest commanders.
Col. Robert C. Kuckuk, the outgoing commanding officer of MCAS Yuma, relinquished command in a ceremony on the station’s parade deck, June 4. After three eventful years of leading the air station, Kuckuk passed the reins to Col. Ricardo Martinez.
“I love it here. I love Yuma,” said Kuckuk. “Honestly, we leave with heavy hearts. We have a lot of friends here. Our children grew up here.”
Of the 27 years Kuckuk has spent as a Marine, 14 of them have been in Yuma. This is the third tour he has served in Yuma, and he is not shy about his love of the air station and the local community.
“As I’ve said to everyone who will listen, Yuma is the only place for people to go and do tactical aviation, tactical aviation training, and enjoy outdoor activities year-round,” said Kuckuk. “As long as you can stand the heat a little bit, you’re in the right place.”
“My most favorite aspect of command in Yuma is I get to work with all of the people out in town,” added Kuckuk. “The town here is very supportive of the Marines and the sailors and our military mission. We are very lucky that’s the case…the people in town have just been terrific.”
In addition to the local community, Kuckuk has expressed fondness for the service members of MCAS Yuma.
“Another really great aspect of it is just getting to work with Marines,” explained Kuckuk. “I know that this is perhaps the last opportunity that I will have to work directly with Marines and sailors, and young people in uniform who have given up a certain portion of their lives to serve their country. I just think, from the bottom of my heart, that is impressive and exciting, and to get to work with them is just a wonderful deal.”
Kuckuk is departing MCAS Yuma to become a professor of naval science for Naval ROTC at Norwich University, Vermont, where he will stay until he retires.
“I’ve always wanted to teach. I’ve gotten to teach a little bit as an instructor in various aspects of aviation since I’ve been a Marine. Now I get to go and hopefully teach young people about leadership, ethics, and Marine Corps values and teach another generation of people out there,” said Kuckuk. “At the end of that, my wife will move back to Wisconsin and I am welcome to come with her, as she would say.”
Much of the air station is averse to seeing Kuckuk leave and many more will miss the impressive leadership he exhibited daily.
“[Kuckuk] is definitely one of the best, most approachable and sensitive mentors and leaders, honestly, that I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” said Sgt. Maj. Colen Laarman, the MCAS Yuma sergeant major and a native of McBain, Michigan. “He’s down to Earth, totally approachable, cares for his people legitimately and their benefits and the well-being of his personnel and the civilians. You hear this a lot, ‘I’d follow this guy or that guy anywhere,’ but I would follow [Kuckuk] to hell if he took me. We’re going to miss him, and he’s a once in a lifetime commander.”
Martinez, who is coming from the Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards, has large shoes to fill in taking up the roll of station commander.
“I’ve got big feet, so I think I’ll do pretty good,” said Martinez, the incoming commanding officer of MCAS Yuma and a native of Edinburg, Texas. “I want just to carry on what we’ve been doing, what Col. Kuckuk and his staff have been doing…to continue the excellence that’s been taking place here.”
Even in departing, some of Kuckuk’s final concerns are for the men and women of the air station, expressed in words of wisdom to future commanders.
“It’s not enough to pass inspections and get through the audits and get good comments from people,” said Kuckuk. ”You have to dig down and make sure people are being treated right, that people are given the opportunity to be happy in their jobs, and that people are being treated fairly.”
Wherever Kuckuk’s future takes him, the personnel of MCAS Yuma wish him the best and know his destination will be lucky to have him.
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2014 05:08 |
| Story ID: | 134149 |
| Location: | YUMA, ARIZONA, US |
| Hometown: | EDINBURG, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | MCBAIN, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 673 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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