NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland – Naval Air Station Patuxent River held a ceremony Sept. 24 in which Capt. Robert Chandler assumed command of the installation from outgoing Commanding Officer Capt. Mark Zematis.
A native of Inverness, Florida, Chandler enlisted as an undesignated airman in March 1992 and rose through the ranks to Aviation Electronics Technician First Class. In 2001, he graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, he holds a Master of Science in Administration in Acquisition and Contract Administration from the University of West Florida. Upon commissioning from OCS in January 2002, he began flight training and winged NFO in 2003, selecting S-3B Vikings. In May 2004, his first operational tour was VS-31 in NAS Jacksonville, Florida. He completed two deployments, accumulating over 1,100 flight hours and 330 traps. In January 2008, Chandler completed transition training to the EP-3E at VP-30. His subsequent operational tours included Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron TWO (VQ-2), Commander U.S. SIXTH Fleet, Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ONE (VQ-1), AFRICOM/EUCOM, PACOM, and SOUTHCOM, OPNAV N98, and Task Force SEVEN TWO before coming onboard to Pax River as executive officer under the Navy’s Fleet Up program.
In that program, executive officers serve in that position for approximately a year and a half before they “fleet up” to become the commanding officer for their command tour on the same ship or station. This practice provides focused command leadership stability throughout a base’s life, according to OPNAVINST 1412.14. Commanding officers reap the benefits of the actions and policies they institute as executive officer.
Chandler embodies two firsts in the history of NAS Patuxent River, being the last officer to fleet up to the CO position, and the first prior-enlisted officer to command the air station.
“As some of you may know, NAS Pax River means a lot to me and my family; we moved her in January 1998 as a second class petty officer, and left in October 2001 as a first class to continue in the Navy as an officer,” said Chandler. “And we’re back – exciting times. I am ready and up to the task to lead and execute the mission of NAS Patuxent River. We are here to enable mission partners’ successes by providing outstanding base operating support, services in direct support of operational nuclear command and control, and research, development, test, and evaluation.”
During the change of command ceremony, officiating officer Capt. Aaron Shoemaker, Chief of Staff, Naval District Washington, highlighted Zematis’ abilities while in the unique position of leadership at NAS Patuxent River.
“Pax River is the beating heart of the Navy’s Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation mission,” said Shoemaker. “Leading an installation of this scale is unlike any other in the military. You’re not simply the commanding officer; you’re the mayor, city planner, port authority, fire and police commissioner, and the chief diplomat representing a workforce of over 25,000 personnel in the local community. Consider the span of those responsibilities – 65 tenant commands across the full spectrum of defense innovation, 13 massive hangars, two towered airfields, two outlying properties in Webster Field and Navy Recreation Center Solomons Island, and over 1,900 facilities that span thousands of acres along the Chesapeake. When the weather surges across the bay, when high stakes flight tests demand flawless radar synchronization and execution, or when thousands of military families need safe housing, power, and childcare, there is only one person ultimately accountable. Captain Zematis has answered that call with steady hands and a clear purpose.”
Shoemaker then cited Zematis for his specific achievements as NAS Patuxent River commanding officer and presented him with the Legion of Merit for his efforts.
In his own remarks to the command, Zematis noted the team effort that makes the important work at NAS Patuxent River possible, and its global reach.
“Standing in this hangar surrounded by the men and women who keep this base operating, you can’t help but feel the weight and gravity of what Naval Air Station Patuxent River represents to our Navy and nation,” said Zematis. “Pax River isn’t just an air station, it’s a strategic asset; the premier research, development, test, and evaluation complex for naval aviation. This installation is the lifeblood of maritime airpower. Simply put, every aircraft, every helicopter, every unmanned system, every advanced radar sensor, and aviation weapon operating across the globe has Pax River’s fingerprints on it.”
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, was born of the Navy’s need to consolidate various aircraft test and evaluation efforts into one centralized location. NAS Patuxent River was commissioned April 1, 1943, and has since evolved into the Center of Excellence for Naval Aviation — where the future of Naval Aviation and our technological advantage begins. As the host to 64 Mission Partners, including the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Pax River conducts the full spectrum of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, acquisition, sustainment, and lifecycle management for all Naval and Marine Corps aircraft, their weapons systems, and support equipment.
