Cmdr. Raymond Sudduth relieved Cmdr. Charles Ardinger during a change of command ceremony for Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Norfolk at Building SP-384 onboard Naval Station Norfolk, May 3.

Capt. Eric Simon, Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) commanding officer, presided over the ceremony attended by CNATTU Norfolk staff members, students, family and friends.

During his remarks before turning over command, Ardinger thanked the CNATTU Norfolk team for their support during his nearly two-year tour as commanding officer.

"It has been a pleasure and true honor serving as the commanding officer CNATTU Norfolk," he said. "The Sailors, Marines and civilians here are true professionals, and I will miss the camaraderie we shared."

As commanding officer, Ardinger oversaw nearly 150 Sailors, Marines and civilian staff members, and was responsible for nearly 200,000 hours of instruction. He was instrumental in identifying instructional bottlenecks, which resulted in the elimination of 494 instructional days, reviewed 96 courses and led CNATTU Norfolk to a 99 percent rating in the command's 2017 Training Management Assessment program visit.

Ardinger was selected for the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program in 1999. As a commissioned officer at sea, he served as an Air Bos'n aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71); the flight deck officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln; and the aircraft handling officer aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65). His shore assignments as a commissioned officer included the airfield facilities officer and Air Bos'n onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; as the officer in charge of CNATT Det. Lakehurst, New Jersey; the branch head/test site officer aboard Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and as CNATTU Norfolk executive officer.

Ardinger's next assignment is with Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic with Amphibious Readiness Support.

Sudduth served as the CNATTU Norfolk executive officer since November 2016 and addressed the audience for the first time as commanding officer.

"I am truly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead the great men and women of CNATTU Norfolk," he said.

Sudduth enlisted in the Navy in August 1987 as an Aviation Structural Mechanic. He was commissioned through the LDO program in May 2000. Sudduth's commissioned officer sea duty assignments include Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 14, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22, aboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and HSC-3. His shore assignments as a commissioned officer include Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Detachment Norfolk, Virginia and as the CNATTU Norfolk executive officer.

CNATTU Norfolk provides rate-specific aviation technical training, specializing in aviation "C" school training to maintain and operate air weapons systems supporting MH-53E/MH-60S helicopters, E-2C Airborne Early Warning aircraft, C-2A(R) Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft, Airborne Mine Counter Measure (AMCM), Under Sea Warfare, Aviation Maintenance Administration Management, Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB), Aviation Ordnanceman (AO), Interior Communications Electrician (IC) and Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR) professional and rating skills.

CNATTU Norfolk is a training unit for CNATT, a technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE), an organization designed to advance and sustain Naval Aviation warfighting capabilities, under the Naval Education and Training Command domain.


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