Capt. Thomas M. "Oddjob" Santomauro relieved Capt. John H. "Frenchy" Rousseau as the commodore of Naval Test Wing Pacific (NTWP) in a ceremony at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California, Sept. 23.

With a backdrop that included a hangar-sized U.S. flag on one side and a U.S. Navy Blue Angel streaking through the sky on the other, Santomauro relieved Rousseau to become the ninth NTWP commodore since its establishment in 1995.

"There is an air show coming up this weekend," Rousseau said by way of explaining the sound of the iconic jet streaking by just before the ceremony, joking that he'd told his guests the Blues were there just for the ceremony.

Rear Adm. Mike Moran, commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), was the guest speaker for the event; NTWP is aligned under Moran's command.

"Both officers with us here today have clearly demonstrated their ability to command and lead at multiple levels," Moran said, "and I feel extremely fortunate to have them at the helm helping guide our organization."

With 900 military, civilian and contractor personnel, NTWP is "not your everyday organization" Moran explained, noting that the wing oversees a wide mix of personnel, manned and unmanned aircraft in a high-pace, competitive test an evaluation environment.

"To manage it all, you need a strong, smart, dedicated commander and leaders, and fortunately for us, Frenchy has been that leader here for the last three years," he added.

During Rousseau's tenure as commodore, NTWP executed more than 11,000 sorties totaling over 20,500 operational hours and the completion of more than 10 major test and evaluation programs aimed at giving the U.S. warfighter the edge on the battlefield. Moran also credited Rousseau as the "driving force" behind the establishment of the government-led MQ-8C Fire Scout test program with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30 at Point Mugu.

"What they're doing here at Point Mugu is unique, and it's due, in large part, to Frenchy's leadership," Moran said.

Leadership that will continue to benefit the Fleet when Rousseau moves on to his next position as the military director of test and evaluation for NAWCWD, Moran added.

Santomauro, the incoming commodore, served at the chief test pilot and commanding officer of VX-30 prior to serving as the military deputy for NAVAIR ranges at Point Mugu. With multiple deployments and acquisition tours under his belt, Santomauro is, in Moran's reckoning, a perfect choice to continue leading NTWP.

"He is an operator and an acquisitions expert - though he won't admit it," Moran said. "To say the Wing is in good hands is an understatement."


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