After three years in command, Capt. Michael Michel turned over command to Capt. Robert Mathewson as commanding officer of Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa (CFAO) at a ceremony at White Beach Naval Facility Okinawa, March 3.

During his time at CFAO, Michel was in charge of numerous tenant commands around the island while headquartered at Kadena Air Force Base. This included five separate installations and numerous tenant commands such as Pacific Missile Range Facility Detachment Okinawa, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion detachments, Tactical Operations Center Kadena and Air Patrol detachments.

"I cannot think of another place I would have rather been or a group of people that I would have rather been with than to work side by side with all of you," said Michel. "Okinawa and the people of Okinawa will always be a part of me. I truly love this place."

Faced with the challenge of working with a small staff and aging infrastructure, Michel has managed and protected the Navy's numerous critical interests in Okinawa while at the same time maintaining positive relationships with the Okinawan people.

Rear Adm. Matthew Carter, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Japan and Navy Region Japan, had nothing but praise for Michel. As guest speaker, he spoke of Michel as a team builder, problem solver and a passionate commander.

"Mike Mike, you've had a superb command tour," said Carter. "On behalf of Navy Region Japan, I want to thank you for a job well done."

Carter said Michel has had his trust and confidence from the outset. He has relied on his judgement and valued his counsel on all of the challenging political, joint-service and infrastructure issues in Okinawa. Carter also said Michel has the unique ability to see the big picture, motivate group resources, sustain momentum and drive solutions to make the lives of his Sailors, their families and his tenants better.

Michel, a native of Brandon, Florida, is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He was commissioned in 1989 and earned his pilot wings in 1990.

Michel has had numerous challenges while in charge, one of which was the grounding of the United States Naval Ship (USNS) Kocak on a reef off the coast of the island.

Carter said Michel displayed strong leadership in response to the issue. He and his team managed the concerns of the Japanese Coast Guard and local government organizations, working with the U.S. Consulate, Military Sealift Command and others to ensure that Japanese concerns were heard and that enough information was always shared across organizations. Michel's understanding that transparency of the situation may have helped stave off a potentially explosive public outcry.

Another challenge that Michel handled superbly was local concern regarding the introduction of the P-8 Poseidon Patrol Aircraft to Okinawa. Carter said when the Navy forward deployed the P-8 Poseidon to Japan, they came to Okinawa, and Michel and his team were instrumental in communicating this change to the mayors and government officials. Michel assured local organizations of the safety of the aircraft and helped mitigate noise concerns through active communication.

During the ceremony, Michel received the Legion of Merit for his superior and loyal service. Michel's previous decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal and various other personal and unit awards.

His next assignment is to become the director of character development and training at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

As Mathewson assumed command, he said he and his family are very happy to be in Okinawa and expressed his vision for the near future.

Mathewson expressed his intent to fully support the Fleet Activities Okinawa mission of supporting fleet, fighter and family. He also spoke of his dedication to strengthen the bond between the Navy and the Okinawan people.

"I am looking forward to learning about Okinawa, its history, the Japanese people, what needs to be done and you have my dedication to that," said Mathewson.

Mathewson graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 1992 and was designated a naval aviator at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi, in April 1995. Mathewson is a 1999 graduate of the U.S. Navy's Prestigious Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).

For more news from Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa, visit www.navy.mil/ or www.navy.mil/local/cfao/.