Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24 changed command during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where Lt. Col. Jason Noll assumed leadership from Cmdr. Tyler Hurst on Jan. 29.
Naval Test Wing Atlantic Commodore Capt. Daniel Kitts presided over the ceremony.
“Cmdr. Hurst, your professionalism and vision have strengthened this squadron in ways that will endure long after today,” Kitts said. “Lt. Col. Noll, you bring a depth of operational and test experience that uniquely positions you to lead Ghost Wolves into their next chapter.”
Noll takes command after serving as the squadron’s chief test pilot for the past 18 months.
“I’m honored to continue serving the test community, and I’m humbled by the trust to carry forward the standard Cmdr. Hurst set with a renewed sense of purpose as we lead this exemplary team,” Noll said.
A Kirksville, Mo., native, Noll graduated with a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He commissioned in 2008 and earned his wings in 2011. After training on the MV-22B Osprey, Noll completed multiple deployments and humanitarian missions with five different Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadrons. He was selected for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and later served as government flight test director for the V-22 Integrated Test Team at HX-21 from 2020 to 2023. Before reporting to UX-24 as Chief Test Pilot, he was the MV-22 Program Integrator at NAVAIR’s V-22 Joint Program Office. Noll has logged over 2,200 flight hours in 28 different aircraft. He holds a master's degree in systems engineering and his awards include the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Medal.
“I’m deeply grateful for the privilege of leading this command,” Hurst said. “Lt. Col. Noll is a remarkable leader and I’m confident he will guide this team to even greater heights.”
Hurst, a Bakersfield, Calif., native and 2004 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, will retire this summer after more than 20 years of naval service. He has accumulated more than 2,800 flight hours in 45 different aircraft and over 600 carrier arrested landings. Designated a naval aviator in 2006, he flew the F/A-18E/F with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 in support of Operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom. He later served as a developmental test pilot and department head at VX-23, where he led landing system certification and aircraft compatibility testing for USS Gerald R. Ford. He also served as a department head with VFA-192 during multiple 7th Fleet deployments. Hurst’s final tour was with UX-24, where he became chief test pilot in 2022 before taking command in 2024.
UX-24 is a component of Naval Test Wing Atlantic, the test wing under Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. With facilities in Patuxent River, Maryland; Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Orlando, Florida NAWCAD advances capability and operational readiness for naval aviation and our warfighters.