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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Rear Adm. Roy Kelley, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (CNAL) spoke with members of Hampton Roads Rotary Club in Virginia Beach, March 6.
Kelley provided updates on Naval Aviation overall, but included various messages from the commanding officers of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), as well as leadership from Commander, Patrol, and Reconnaissance Group, and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Wing Pacific.
“It was fun to be back with the Rotary,” said Kelley. “I was an honorary member with the Rotary when I was down in Corpus Christi and I was excited to have an opportunity to engage with the Hampton Roads Rotarians and get a chance to update on Naval Aviation.”
The speaking event at the Hampton Roads Rotary Club marks one of Kelley’s final public speaking events prior to the Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic change of command ceremony. In that ceremony, Kelley will be relieved by Rear Adm. John Meier. Meier is currently Commander, Navy Warfare Development Command.
During the Rotary Club meeting, Kelley introduced videos from the various carrier commanding officers to include Capt. John Cummings, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) who discussed the aircraft carrier’s long-term mission.
“For the next 12-14 months we will be underway nine times with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8; to iron out our unique systems as well as identify and produce procedures, tactics, and techniques that will be available for us and required of us, as we prepare for work-ups and subsequent deployment,” said Cummings.
In addition to aircraft carriers commanding officers, Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group’s Rear Adm. Pete Garvin spoke about the resurgence of great power competition and the role the P-8 provides to Naval Aviation capabilities and power projection.
“You need go no further than today’s headlines to see the resurgence of a great power competition and the increasing threat of far-ranging, advanced, and deadly new generation submarines,” said Garvin. “With these new threats and operational tempos, the likes we have not seen since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy and our allies have answered the call with newer technology and better equipment of our own. It is the training and experience of our air crew that gives us the asymmetrical advantage over our adversaries.”
CNAL is responsible for four nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, 54 aircraft squadrons, 1,200 aircraft and 50,000 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel based on the East Coast of the United States. It provides combat ready, sustainable naval air forces with the right personnel, properly trained and equipped, with a focus on readiness, operational excellence, interoperability, safety, and efficient resourcing.
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2020 13:00 |
| Story ID: | 364636 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
This work, CNAL Speaks with Rotary Club Members about Naval Aviation, by CDR Jennifer Cragg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
