Photo By Jamie Coffey | Col. Jeffrey Pavelko, outgoing commodore of Training Air Wing 5, turns over command to...... read more read more
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Capt. Jade Lepke relieved Col. Jeffrey Pavelko as Commodore of Training Air Wing 5 in a ceremony on board Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field, Florida, March 18.
The ceremony’s guest speaker was Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) Rear Adm. Robert Westendorff.
“Col. Pavelko has been an outstanding leader during his tenure at TW5, capitalizing on opportunities to modernize training and safely execute the primary mission of training future military leaders and combat aviators,” said Westendorff. “His vision to update academic training facilities, procure equipment and redesign infrastructure for e-classroom development directly supported a full-scale implementation of Naval Aviation Training Next (NATN), our newest primary flight training syllabus.”
Pavelko graduated from Pennsylvania State University and earned his commission in 1994. Upon graduation from The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, he attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida, and designated as a naval aviator in September 1997.
Pavelko reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron (HMLAT) 303 at Camp Pendleton, California, for training in the AH-1W SuperCobra with a follow-on assignment to the "Vipers" of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169 in March 1998. He designated as a Weapons and Tactics Instructor in 2001 and deployed to Okinawa, Japan, and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
Pavelko earned a master’s degree in military studies from the Command and Staff College, Marine Corps University in Quantico and a master’s of strategic studies from Air War College, Air University, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama. He has completed multiple deployments in support of OIF and served in leadership positions with MAG-29 and HMLA-269.
“The past three years have been the opportunity of a lifetime to serve at NAS Whiting Field as the deputy and then the commodore of Training Air Wing Five. It’s been great to be part of a tremendous team that has passion for their profession,” Pavelko said.
“For TW5, production is the mission, it’s what we do and we do it in an outstanding fashion. A testament to that is our helicopter training squadron, HT-28, recently recognized by CNATRA with the Training Excellence Award (advanced squadron), and the CNATRA Instructor Pilot of the Year, Lt. Chaun Chang. I am turning over a great organization that’s done great things. It will continue to do great things under Jade’s leadership.”
Lepke, a native of Mitchell, South Dakota, enlisted with the South Dakota Air National Guard as an aircraft armament systems specialist on the F-16C Fighting Falcon. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Dakota in 1996 and attended Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, earning his commission in 1997. His first assignment was to HSL-40 in Mayport, Florida, for training in the SH-60B Seahawk.
Lepke has completed deployments in the Arabian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) in support of Fifth Fleet and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Battle Group Operations. Following his tour as a flight instructor with HT-18, he earned a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2005.
Lepke’s second sea tour was as a catapult and arresting gear officer or “Shooter” aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) where he deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Lepke also deployed in support of counterdrug operations in the eastern Pacific while serving with Detachment Four assigned to USS Stockdale (DDG 106). He has served as executive officer and commanding officer for the “Red Knights” of VT-3 in Milton, Florida, and upon completion, was assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) as the ship’s navigator, taking the ship to sea for its maiden voyage.
“Col. Pavelko led this fine team with a distinct overtone of empowerment,” Lepke said. “Routinely and with precision, you would identify a target for us then you’d simply step back and let the team determine how to attack it. We have learned a great deal from your leadership.
“This year, our wing turned 50. Many of us present in the audience earned our wings right here at TW5, so our mission is very personal. We see ourselves in the young officers we train. It is absolutely critical that we advance our training and make every effort to prepare our newest aviators for the future high-end fight they will most certainly encounter. I am proud to have all of you in our TW5 team and honored to have your trust and confidence.”
CNATRA’s mission is to safely train the world’s finest combat quality naval aviation professionals, delivering them to our naval forces at the right time in the right quantity with the right skills at the right cost. Headquartered at NAS Corpus Christi, CNATRA comprises five training air wings in Florida, Mississippi, and Texas, which are home to 17 training squadrons. In addition, CNATRA oversees the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron the Blue Angels and the training curriculum for all fleet replacement squadrons.
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.24.2022 16:59 |
| Story ID: | 417120 |
| Location: | MILTON, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 721 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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