Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, Naval Air Forces commander (CNAF), visited with operational units, installation commands and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) staff during his Oct. 5-6 visit to Point Mugu and China Lake, his first since becoming "Air Boss" in January.

Shoemaker was accompanied by Bryan Scurry, CNAF's executive director.

At both sites, Shoemaker and Scurry extensively toured various NAWCWD facilities, getting a feel for what services and technologies the command offers that can give a warfighting edge to the U.S. Navy's air forces. NAWCWD Executive Director Scott O'Neil; Capt. Karl Andina, NAWCWD vice commander; Dr. Ron Smiley, director of Avionics, Sensors and E*Warfare; Tom Dowd, director of NAVAIR Ranges; Capt. James Hineline, military director for NAVAIR Ranges; and Rich Burr, director of Threat/Target Systems, escorted the visitors for the many briefs and tours during the two-day visit.

During his visit, Shoemaker also met with installation commanding officers Capt. Richard Wiley of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and Capt. Chris Janke of Naval Base Ventura County. Janke escorted the Air Boss to a morning meeting with the Regional Defense Partnership for the 21st Century, or RDP-21, a community-based organization that advocates for and supports the Ventura County's military facilities and defense contractors as community assets.

Shoemaker also held an all-hands call with members of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 and spent a morning with Capt. Drew Basden, commodore of the Airborne Command and Control Logistics Wing.

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