NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily – Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 held a Change of Command ceremony at Naval Air Station Sigonella on May 17, 2025. Cmdr. Brett Eckhert was relieved by Cmdr. John Leeds. VP-5 is currently forward deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR).
Cmdr. Eckhert began his tour with the “Mad Foxes” of VP-5 as executive officer in May 2023, then assumed command as the 74th commanding officer in May 2024. During that time, he led the squadron through the Fleet Readiness Training Plan the squadron while preparing for a 7th Fleet deployment. VP-5 is home-based in Jacksonville, Florida.
A native of Thornton, Colorado, Cmdr. Eckhert enlisted in the Navy in 1998, serving as an AW/Rescue Swimmer in Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron SEVEN (HS-7) before being accepted into the Seaman to Admiral program. He graduated from Jacksonville University with a Bachelor of Science in Computing Science and Geography and earned his "wings" as a naval aviator in 2008.
Cmdr. Eckhert’s personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. He also holds a master’s degree in operations management from the University of Arkansas and has accumulated over 2,000 military flight hours.
“The whole point of this job — the XO and the CO — is to develop teams and empower people to do their jobs,” said Cmdr. Eckhert. “I think that's the hallmark of any squadron that’s running well, and VP-5 is a great squadron.”
Capt. Brett Schnider, commander of Task Force SIX SEVEN, received the traditional salutes as command of VP-5 passed from one officer to another.
“As commodore, I have the privilege of working closely with many outstanding squadrons,” said Capt. Schnider during his remarks at the ceremony. “I’d like to take a moment to recognize just how impressed I’ve been with the performance and professionalism of the ‘Mad Foxes.’ When VP-5 arrived here in Sigonella, you didn’t just turn over — you took charge.”
Before reading his orders, Cmdr. Eckhert addressed the crew for the final time.
“I’ve reflected on the past 27 years, and especially the last 24 months that I’ve been part of this great team, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude,” he said. “This tour has been the pinnacle of my career. Serving and leading with you all has been the greatest honor of my career.”
Cmdr. Leeds arrived at VP-5 in May 2025 as executive officer. He initially enlisted in 2006 as a Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) and later commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 2008, earning his Naval Flight Officer wings in the P-3C Orion at VP-30 in Jacksonville, Florida.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from The College of New Jersey, an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a master’s degree from the U.S. Naval War College. He has logged over 2,300 flight hours and has flown on top of more than 18 different types of submarines from 11 countries.
“I want to highlight what it is we do here — VP-5 is a combat squadron,” Cmdr. Leeds said during his first address as commanding officer. “We find our enemies and prevent them from doing bad things to good people. We dominate the battlespace anywhere, anytime, and against any enemies.”
Cmdr. Leeds also shared his command philosophy:
“Character, competence, and culture,” he said. “With those three attributes, all other policies in our command feed into them. Next is health and wellness. It’s the people that make this mission possible. We have to invest in ourselves daily. Optimal performance requires work and balance; success is not guaranteed. Success is rented — and rent is due every day.”
The VP-5 “Mad Foxes,” based in Jacksonville, Florida, are currently operating from Sigonella, Sicily. The squadron conducts maritime patrol and reconnaissance as well as theater outreach operations as part of a rotational deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet Area of Operations. The advanced capabilities of the P-8A Poseidon enable the Mad Foxes to perform anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and search and rescue (SAR) missions.
“VP-5 is the premier squadron in the Navy — not just based on metrics, but because we have sailors who want to stay in VP-5, and others across all ranks who want to join,” Cmdr. Leeds concluded. “We will continue to treat everyone with dignity and respect, value the job that we do, and ensure everyone on our team feels appreciated. If we can do that — and keep in mind that VP-5 is a combat squadron ready to answer the call — we will have built a legacy worth carrying forward.”
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2025 07:51 |
| Story ID: | 498297 |
| Location: | SIGONELLA, IT |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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