The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Lemoore held a change of command ceremony at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore chapel April 20.

Cmdr. Thomas A. Decker turned over responsibilities to Cmdr. Tommy Edgeworth during the ceremony, at which CNATT Commanding Officer Capt. Eric J. Simon served as presiding officer.

Decker, who served as the CNATTU Lemoore commanding officer since August 2015, said the opportunity to serve at the helm of the schoolhouse was a rewarding experience.

"Team, each of you truly are the best of the best, and lived up to our [CNATTU Lemoore] motto 'Perfection is our goal, Excellence is accepted,'" said Decker. "I apologize I may not have been able to provide you enough to achieve perfection, but I know for a fact while each of you were chasing perfection, each of you always achieved excellence."

Under Decker's leadership, CNATTU Lemoore's 120 service members and 20 civilian employees delivered 57 courses through which more than 14,000 students were trained. The command also boasted a 99 percent in curriculum management during the 2016 CNATT area visit, received the 2014 and 2015 Navy Community Service Personal Excellence Partnership Flagship Awards, and the FY16 Retention Excellence Award.

Edgeworth, who most recently served as the CNATTU Lemoore Executive officer, addressed staff as their Commanding Officer for the first time during the ceremony.

"Today marks an exciting milestone for me and, as a Navy Officer, there is no greater honor than becoming a commanding officer," said Edgeworth. "I thank you for entrusting in me the tremendous responsibility and the honor of leading this outstanding organization."

CNATTU Lemoore is a training unit specific to the FA-18 Hornet platform, and is part of CNATT, headquartered aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. CNATT develops, delivers and supports aviation technical training at 27 sites located throughout the continental United States and Japan.

CNATT is a technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) an organization designed to advance and sustain Naval Aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost, and is a training center under Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

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/.