Capt. Vincent W. Segars relieved Capt. Mark A. Truluck as commanding officer of Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) during a change of command ceremony May 17 at the NASC auditorium onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.

Segars, who most recently completed a tour as the Navy's head officer and enlisted community manager as director, military community management (BUPERS-3), assumed command from Truluck, whose next assignment is commanding officer of Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity (NETSAFA).

Rear Adm. James S. Bynum, Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA), the ceremony's guest speaker and presiding officer, presented Truluck with the Legion of Merit and commended his exceptional work.

"His sense of teamwork and teambuilding are the hallmark of a great leader," Bynum said. "He has a vision of what ought to be and how to get there. In the end it's about realizing that vision. Thank you [Capt. Truluck] for your commitment to excellence."

Truluck, in his remarks, thanked the NASC military and civilian staff for the opportunity to serve as their commanding officer. Segars set the tone of his future tenure by expressing his enthusiasm for the mission of NASC.

"It is an honor to be your skipper," he said. "[Students] we will make you ready to meet your future challenges."

Segars' previous flying assignments include a department head tour with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1 stationed at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington; an operational staff tour with Patrol and Reconnaissance Force 5th/7th Fleet at Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan; a commanding/executive officer tour with Special Projects Patrol Squadron (VPU) 2 stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii; and a tour as commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 at NAS Whidbey Island.

Located at NAS Pensacola, often referred to as the cradle of naval aviation, NASC trains more than 12,000 U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and international students annually. These students are enlisted and commissioned service members enrolled in aircrew, aviator, survival or prospective commanding officer training programs.

NETSAFA is the U.S. Navy's agent for international education and training. NETSAFA coordinates training support to international governments and international organizations. As a field activity of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), NETSAFA serves as a focal point for all security assistance training program issues, coordination and advice within the U.S. Navy.

The Naval Air Training Command (NATRACOM) is a two-star command that conducts flight training of student naval aviators, and naval flight officers. It is responsible for monitoring the production of aircrewmen through the Naval Aviator Production Process (NAPP). Through the NAPP, NATRACOM is also responsible for programming and monitoring the production of all Navy and Marine Corps fleet replacement squadrons.


For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, visit www.navy.mil/.