Photo By Jerron Barnett | NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. -- Cmdr. Richard Baier (left), new commanding...... read more read more
NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. – Commander Richard F. Baier relieved Cmdr. Keith W. King during a change of command ceremony for Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Whidbey Island Jan. 30.
Capt. Jeffrey A. Brown, Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) commanding officer (CO), presided over the event and was the guest speaker. The unit’s staff witnessed the ceremony, bidding farewell to King as he addressed the Sailors and civilians for a final time. During his remarks, King thanked the CNATTU Whidbey Island staff for their support during his three-year tour.
“There is no place that I would have rather been other than CNATTU Whidbey,” King said. “We have consistently been a high-performing center of training excellence that sets the standard for the CNATT domain. I ask that you continue to elevate, execute, and own everything you do and strive to be better tomorrow than you were today. The resiliency and fight that this team has will leave a long-lasting impression on me for years to come. I wish you all the best of luck and will be pulling for great success for each one of you.”
King will retire after approximately 34 years of active-duty service. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in July 1991 as a fireman recruit and completed training in Great Lakes, Illinois. He was promoted to chief petty officer in 2002, and commissioned as a limited duty officer in 2005.
Asked what he looks forward to when he retires, King said, “I look forward to gaining back some time with Holly (wife) and family as I figure out what life looks like for us in San Antonio, Texas. I look forward to starting a new career and feel blessed to have been able to do this for as long as I have.”
King’s final remarks to Baier were, “Continue to lead, listen, and engage at a high level and your command tour will be the most rewarding tour of your career.”
Baier is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1996 and started his naval career at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, followed by Aviation Electronics Technician A-school at Millington, Tennessee. Baier was promoted to chief petty officer in September 2006 and was commissioned in 2007 under the limited duty officer program.
Baier, who served as CNATTU Whidbey Island’s XO for over a year, shared his approach to leadership.
“As the commanding officer I will be an example of positive leadership for each Sailor, chief, officer or civilian in my charge as the team trains the Fleet’s newest aviation maintenance leaders and technicians,” Baier said. “The professional and personal success of each of our Sailors is my number one priority as we empower them to reach for the stars, while we continue to provide relevant and meaningful instruction to the fleet to fight and win in combat. I will miss Skipper King. I am grateful for his awesome example, humility in all that he does, and selfless dedication to the command. We built a strong relationship, and our command’s successes were a testament to his direction and guidance while leading our outstanding team.”
The CNATTU Whidbey Island staff also welcomes Cmdr. Kirtley Yeiser as the command’s new executive officer, a native of Winchester, Kentucky.
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.31.2025 12:56 |
| Story ID: | 489887 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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