Commander, Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CSFWP) hosted a change-of-command ceremony June 2 at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.

Topping off the National Anthem performance, a four-plane formation comprised of F/A-18 Super Hornets flew overhead the ceremony where more than 200 friends, family, and esteemed colleagues gathered to witness Capt. Markus Gudmundsson relieving Capt. David Koss as Commodore.

For CSFWP, presently sustaining operations on many fronts, the narrative of this ceremony is one that acknowledges the current fiscally constraint environment of our military while fulfilling the insatiable demand from combatant commanders for Strike Fighter assets.

"Our Commodores today truly understand the business of Naval Aviation better than their predecessors ever did and consistently deliver the warfighting capabilities and capacity that will keep our aviation forces relevant today and in the future," said Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander, Naval Air Forces.

Shoemaker, based at Naval Base Coronado, San Diego, Calif., who served as the ceremony's guest speaker, is all too familiar with the flight line readiness and manning challenges seen throughout the Naval Aviation Enterprise.

"Captains Koss and Gudmundsson have been relentless in communicating every one of those challenges to me and the Naval Aviation Enterprise," said Shoemaker. "I can assure you that all of us in this enterprise are engaged to turn things around."

One of those helping turn the tide around has been Koss who was cited in his Legion of Merit award, presented before the audience, for his critical and accurate decisions which ensured full mission capable aircraft for five Carrier Air Wings. With equal passion, the citation read, Koss boldly challenged current business rules and practices to create additional efficiencies and improve existing aircraft availability, ultimately achieving increased readiness across the F/A-18 community.

"Instead of simply demanding what external agencies owe us, we must work to find solutions and efficiencies that allow us to meet our metrics at the right cost and look for innovative ways to achieve readiness--but not at the expense of our workforce," said Koss. "It has been an honor to have led this wing and I am humbled by your ability to deliver knowing how much has been asked of you."

Less than five minutes after the completion of the ceremony, a flight of two F/A-18 Super Hornets returned to the airfield from a training mission -- now under the command of Gudmundsson.

"Captain Gudmundsson, your remarkable vision, credible warrior ethos and selfless commitment to excellence and teamwork make you the perfect choice to build upon this wing's legacy and put your personal touch on this community's future," said Shoemaker.

With the underlying excitement and optimism for Gudmundsson as he embarks on his journey as CSFWP's newest Commodore will come the addition of a new teammate in the form of the Naval Aviation Enterprise's first Fifth Generation Fighter - the F-35C Lightning II, in addition to building on his predecessor's successes.

"I want to stress that Naval Aviation is a team sport. We succeed best when our constraints are clearly communicated, we build a common understanding of the challenges we face, and we inspire positive action to pitch in to support the broader team," said Gudmundsson. "I look forward to working with each of you as we build on the progress we have achieved."

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