Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jerome Johnson | JACKSONVILLE, Fla (May. 18, 2018) The Fighting Tigers of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8...... read more read more
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Cmdr. Edward “Teddy” Kribs transferred command of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 to Cmdr. Zachary “Stanger” Stang during a Change of Command ceremony held Friday, May 18 onboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.
A Granite Bay, California native, Cmdr. Kribs was commissioned in the United States Navy in 1999 when he graduated from the United States Naval Academy and subsequently earned his wings to be a Naval Aviator in 2001. Following his initial sea tour at Patrol Squadron 46 in Whidbey Island, Washington, he completed a tour at Patrol Squadron 30 and was designated as the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) Program Manager and the Instructor Under Training/Standardization Pilot (IUT/Stan) where he trained and qualified all incoming Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) Instructor Pilots. During this assignment to VP-30, Cmdr. Kribs also obtained a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Florida.
In 2009, Cmdr. Kribs reported to the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in San Diego, California, serving as the Operations Department Administrative Officer and Command Security Manager. He deployed twice, to 7th and 5th fleets, and earned qualifications as a Command Duty Officer Underway and an Officer of the Deck Underway.
He joined the “Mad Foxes” of Patrol Squadron 5 in Jacksonville, Florida, for his department head tour in 2011. While there, Cmdr. Kribs faced a tri-site deployment to 4th, 5th and 6th Fleets in 2011 and returned to 7th Fleet in 2012. His duties included Command Services Officer, Safety/NATOPS Officer, Training Officer, and Operations Officer while deployed to 7th Fleet and Maintenance Officer during the squadron’s transition from the P-3C Orion to the P-8A Poseidon.
In 2013, Cmdr. Kribs was assigned to be the Aviation Distribution Officer at the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee, where he served as the Aircraft Carrier/Carrier Strike Group Placement Officer.
Cmdr. Kribs joined the Fighting Tigers in May of 2016 as the Executive Officer while the squadron was making its inaugural P-8A deployment to the 7th Fleet area of responsibility. He assumed command of VP-8 in May of 2017 and successfully led them on their 2017-2018 deployment to 7th Fleet. The Fighting Tigers excelled under his leadership, gaining renown during their most recent deployment for their imagery of North Korean sanctions violations on the High Seas. The squadron’s imagery was eventually declassified, released to the media, and found its way into numerous publications from the BBC, to the New York Times, to network and cable television news stations. In addition, VP-8 was the first to employ the P-8A Search and Rescue UNI-PAC II Kit leading to the successful rescue of three Micronesian fishermen lost at sea for more than eight days.
Cmdr. Zachary Stang assumes command of the Fighting Tigers during the Fleet Response Training Plan (FRTP), as the squadron begins preparations for another 7th Fleet deployment in April of 2019. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Cmdr. Stang is the 70th Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron 8. He joined the squadron as the Executive Officer in May of 2017, helping shepherd the Fighting Tiger Team through their Operational Readiness Evaluation and onto deployment.
“It has been my distinct pleasure to be Cmdr. Kribs’ Executive Officer over the past year. I have learned so much with this experience and gained immeasurably from Cmdr. Kribs’ guidance and mentorship. I look forward to the next year with the Fighting Tiger Family and taking this group of warfighters on deployment in 2019,” Cmdr. Stang said.
Cmdr. Rodney Erler Jr., a native of Salem, Oregon, has assumed the duties of VP-8’s Executive Officer. Erler was previously assigned to Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2018 14:51 |
| Story ID: | 277559 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, FL, US |
| Hometown: | GRANITE BAY, CA, US |
| Hometown: | LITTLE ROCK, AR, US |
| Hometown: | SALEM, OR, US |
| Web Views: | 515 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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