Helicopter Sea Combat Weapon School, U.S. Pacific Fleet (HSCWSP) held a change of command ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island, Aug. 11.

During the ceremony, Cmdr. Frank T. Ingargiola relieved Cmdr. Gregory D. Mendenhall as commander, HSCWSP.

Mendenhall, a native of Poway, California, is a 1997 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. At sea, his career as a naval aviator includes assignments with the "Golden Falcons" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 2 aboard aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV 64) in support of Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom; H-60R/S Fleet Introduction Team, U.S. 7th Fleet; the "Indians" of HS-6 aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; and on the joint staff at the National Military Command Center.

As commander of HSCWSP, Mendenhall led a workforce of elite officers and enlisted personnel who managed the tactical training and standardization of nine geographically dispersed fleet squadrons and a fleet replacement squadron. Mendenhall oversaw the development and implementation of a revolutionary new Air Crew Training Curriculum (ACTC) which included new weapons, tactics and the MQ-8 Firescout unmanned aerial system (UAS). He was also instrumental in providing the fleet with safer, more effective procedures while landing in a degraded visual environment (DVE).

During his remarks, Mendenhall acknowledged the members assigned to the weapons school for their unparalleled performance during his time as commander, HSCWSP.

"You (the men and women of the weapons school) have proven yourselves throughout your careers, and were hand-picked to come to the weapons school because of your abilities to perform over and over again," said Mendenhall. "Talent, drive, and humility are the traits that define you. The odd and long hours that you have worked across the globe are a testament to your professionalism and your dedication to our mission. Thank you for everything that you do and your collective, tireless work ethic. You were thrown into the fray, and have succeeded beyond all expectations."

Mendenhall's next assignment will be "Air Boss" for amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), stationed in San Diego.

Ingargiola, a native of Huntington, New York, joined the Marine Corps in 1996 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1997. His Naval career includes assignments to the "Tridents" of HS-3, officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Jacksonville, Florida detachment for Helicopter Sea Combat Weapons School Atlantic, the "Dusty Dogs" of HS-7, and NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation in Europe. In June 2015, Ingargiola reported to HSCWSP as the executive officer.

"To the men and women of the weapons school, it might be my change of command, but I work for you," said Ingargiola. "It will continue to be my goal to support each and every one of you in all your careers, while ensuring you are the absolute best trained, most aggressive and most knowledgeable cadre of professionals. We will strive to propel the HSC community into the future through advanced tactics development and an insatiable appetite to be great instructors and mentors."

The mission of HSCWSP is to increase the warfighting capabilities of Pacific Fleet HSC squadrons and ensure they deploy battle-ready in all tactical mission areas through implementation of standardized tactical curricula and exercises designed to improve overall combat effectiveness.

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