Photo By Anne Owens | Capt. Raymond "Pancho" Barnes, left, turns over the role of Training Air Wing Two...... read more read more
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Training Air Wing Two (TW-2) held a combined change of command and retirement ceremony aboard Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, in which Capt. Aaron “Princess” Rybar relieved Capt. Raymond “Pancho” Barnes as TW-2 commodore, June 2.
Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) Rear Adm. Rich Brophy presided over the event and presented Barnes with the Legion of Merit for his exceptionally meritorious conduct while serving as commodore. Barnes’ efforts resulted in the safe completion of 21 detachments, more than 55,000 flights, and the qualification of 195 new naval aviators for the Navy and Marine Corps.
“The work that Captain Barnes and his organization have done has ensured the continued delivery of the highest quality aviator to the fleet,” Brophy said. “Our mission grows increasingly important as conflict and tension slowly rise throughout the world. Captain Barnes and his team have ensured that the best and most qualified Naval Aviators are ready to prevail whenever they are called upon. We are grateful to him and his family as he moves on to the next chapter.”
Barnes, a native of Gorham, Maine, graduated cum laude from Daniel Webster College in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation management and flight operations. He received his commission in January 1998 upon completion of Officer Candidate School and was designated a naval aviator in January 2000.
“It has been an absolute honor to spend my final tour back in Kingsville preparing new strike aviators for the challenges awaiting them in the fleet,” Barnes said. “As I look around, I see the finest men and women this country has to offer, some just starting their journeys in naval aviation, others returning as instructor pilots. I am confident that in these uncertain times, the pilots who receive their Wings of Gold in Kingsville are ready to defend American interests around the globe.”
Barnes has more than 3,000 flight hours and 570 carrier-arrested landings in the F/A-18 Hornet and T-45 Goshawk. His operational assignments have included deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Inherent Resolve and Deliberate Resolve.
Rybar is a native of Seattle and was commissioned in 2000 at Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. Designated a naval aviator in 2002, he previously commanded the “Greyhawks” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 120, the E-2C/D and C-2A Fleet Replacement Squadron, as well as the “Black Eagles” of VAW-113 in Carrier Air Wing Two as part of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group.
“What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to lead Training Air Wing Two,” Rybar said. “The young men and women who train with us are the future of Naval Aviation. The skills they learn here are critical to the future security of both our nation and our allies. I’m superbly confident that the dedicated military, civilian and industry partner team assembled here in Kingsville is the right team to prepare and mentor the next generation of the world’s finest naval aviators.”
Training Air Wing 2 provides strike and E-2 training to student naval aviators with the “Fighting Redhawks” of Training Squadron (VT) 21 and the “Golden Eagles” of VT-22. More than 120 Navy and Marine Corps instructor pilots comprise the two squadrons and award Wings of Gold to more than 130 naval aviators each year.
| Date Taken: | 06.02.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2023 14:30 |
| Story ID: | 447157 |
| Location: | KINGSVILLE, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | GORHAM, MAINE, US |
| Hometown: | SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 516 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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