KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (NNS) -- The "Golden Swordsmen" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 47 held a change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), June 2.
Cmdr. Erik L. Cyre was relieved by Cmdr. Ryan C. Cech. Cech became the 72nd commanding officer of VP-47.
Capt. Steve Newlund, commodore of Command Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 2, expressed how proud he is of all the hard work VP-47 has put into their aircraft and performance.
"The condition of your aircraft is the gold standard; I know that I can pick out a VP-47 airplane from a half-mile away," said Newlund. "I know this because of the pride, the detail, and care that you put into your aging aircraft. It is awe inspiring! It's hard work and I am incredibly proud of you all."
Cyre previously deployed as VP-47 executive officer to Sigonella, Sicily in support of naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility for U.S. national security interests in Europe in 2015. He assumed command in 2015 as well.
During his farewell address, Cyre expressed how grateful he was to serve as commanding officer of such an awesome group of Sailors.
"From the beginning I had high expectations and demands for this group of professionals, and this group exceed them every time, said Cyre. "There are so many examples I can give that are phenomenal achievements that almost became routine because VP-47 is that good at what they do."
During the ceremony, Newlund presented Cyre with the Meritorious Service Medal for exceptional leadership during his tour as commanding officer.
"We used the slogan "Best in the West" for a long time and it is true," added Cyre. "I would argue, given the performance from the Mediterranean [Sea] to 7th Fleet, "Best in the West" isn't big enough. For Team Sword, you are the best anywhere."
During Cech's remarks, he gratefully and proudly told the Sailors of VP-47 they are the souls of the command along with the aircraft being the muscle and bone.
"The muscle and bones of VP-47 are our aircraft -- highly capable, exercised daily, well equipped, and ready to operate at sea and far from home," said Cech. "But the heart and soul of VP-47 is you, our people. You are smart, resourceful, committed Americans who want to be part of something special to serve our country and to be part of a high-performing team."
VP-47 is currently underway with their fleet response training program, conducting exercises and maintenance to maximize operational performance and efficiency.
For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy/, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy/.
For more news from Patrol Squadron (VP) 47, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/VP47/.
| Date Taken: | 06.02.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2016 22:54 |
| Story ID: | 211303 |
| Location: | KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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