thedrifter
07-03-08, 08:34 AM
Reins of MCAS Yuma passed to new commander
July 2, 2008 - 6:33PM
BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER
With the passing of the organizational colors, Col. Mark Werth accepted command of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on Wednesday morning.
Werth said he planned to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and to make sure the air station remains the premiere training site that it has become.
"My mission is going to be to continue to support the Marines and develop everything we can in Marine Aviation, to support our objectives overseas and our continued training here in the United States," Werth said following the ceremony. "There is always stuff that needs to be worked on and we are going to work hard to get things going in the right direction and moving forward."
Werth's tenure as the air station commander began in a ceremony on the base's parade deck, which was attended by many local dignitaries, elected officials, friends and family members, current and former Marines, and members of other branches of service.
The new air station commander said he looked forward to the challenges of being in command of an air station and spoke humorously of it in his acceptance speech.
"If it isn't broke we aren't going to fix it. But if it needs to be fixed, we will fix it," said Werth, who at one time served with the Black Sheep of VMA-214, one of the base's Harrier squadrons. "And if we break it, we will fix it, but we will try not to do that."
The air station's previous commander the past three years, Col. Ben Hancock has been assigned to Joint Task Force-Civil Support in Fort Monroe, Va., where he will be the deputy director.
Werth, who was promoted to the rank of colonel in February, is coming to Yuma from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., where he has served in various assignments.
The change-of-command is a common practice in the Marine Corps' rotation of grooming leaders. Prior to Werth's formal change of command on Wednesday, MCAS Yuma has been led by 21 commanders, dating back to 1959.
Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert, commander of the Marine Corps western bases, also attended the ceremony and praised Hancock for his tenure as the air station's commander.
"You don't run an air station without having problems and issues. It is the nature of what we do," Lehnert said. "It's how you handle those issues and problems that is the measure of a Marine. In your case I couldn't have asked for anyone better."
The general also referred to MCAS Yuma, which is the busiest air station in the Marines, as the jewel of the Corps' aggregation of aviation.
Hancock who jokingly said he wouldn't mind being the air station's permanent commander, admitted he had mixed feelings about leaving.
"It has been a quick three years," said Hancock, who is from Arizona. "I hate to leave. You can do things in Yuma you can't do in any other community in the country."
Hancock also thanked the community for showing such "tremendous" support to the air station and the Marines who served there, during his time there, which has made the base "vitally" important to the military.
He was also awarded the Legion of Merit for his performance while in command at MCAS and cumulative accomplishments in his career.
Sgt. Robert Smith of the air station's public affair's office narrated the ceremony, reminding those in attendance that it was deeply rooted in military traditions.
Smith explained to the large crowd the tradition of the parade of troops, the adjutant's call, the sound off and the transfer of the organizational colors, as they each occurred during the ceremony.
The traditional passing of command began with Hancock presenting the organizational flag to Werth as a gesture of relinquishing command.
Hancock thrust the banner at arms length toward Werth, who saluted him, and then accepted the flag.
Following the ceremony, the two colonels, along with other former commanders of the base who attended the ceremony, performed a ceremonial pass of review of the assembled Marines, who were from Headquarters and Headquarters squadron, as the air station band played.
----
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.
Past Commanding Officers Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Col. L.K. Davis Jan. 10, 1959 to June 30, 1960
Col. K.H. Black July 1, 1960 to July 31, 1963
Col. J.M. Cargill Aug.1, 1963 to June 30, 1965
Col. J.H. McGlothin July 1, 1965 to June 14, 1968
Col. W.J. Sims June 15.1968 to July 31, 1970
Col. E.S. Maloney Aug. 1, 1970 to Aug. 1, 1972
Col. T.H. Nichols Aug. 2, 1972 to March 29, 1974
Lt. Col. K.E. Smith March 30, 1974 to Aug. 8 1974
Col. P.S. Frappollo Aug. 20, 1974 to July 20, 1976
Col. R.R. Norton July 21, 1976 to Oct. 18, 1977
Col. J.J. Hudson Oct. 19, 1977 to May 11, 1980
Col. R.C. Andreas May 12, 1980 to July 28, 1983
Col. R.B. Savage July 29, 1983 to July 10, 1986
Col. W.T. Adams July 11, 1986 to May 3, 1988
Col. R.M. Luckie May 4, 1988 to July 13, 1990
Col. C.B. Cheatham July 14, 1990 to June 24, 1993
Col. W.H. Hansen June 25, 1993 to June 27, 1996
Col. C.J. Turner June 28, 1996 to Aug. 13, 1999
Col. M.E. Condra Aug. 14, 1999 to July 11, 2002
Col. J.J. Cooney July 12, 2002 to July 7, 2005
Col. B.D. Hancock July 7, 2005 to July 2, 2008
Ellie
July 2, 2008 - 6:33PM
BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER
With the passing of the organizational colors, Col. Mark Werth accepted command of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on Wednesday morning.
Werth said he planned to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and to make sure the air station remains the premiere training site that it has become.
"My mission is going to be to continue to support the Marines and develop everything we can in Marine Aviation, to support our objectives overseas and our continued training here in the United States," Werth said following the ceremony. "There is always stuff that needs to be worked on and we are going to work hard to get things going in the right direction and moving forward."
Werth's tenure as the air station commander began in a ceremony on the base's parade deck, which was attended by many local dignitaries, elected officials, friends and family members, current and former Marines, and members of other branches of service.
The new air station commander said he looked forward to the challenges of being in command of an air station and spoke humorously of it in his acceptance speech.
"If it isn't broke we aren't going to fix it. But if it needs to be fixed, we will fix it," said Werth, who at one time served with the Black Sheep of VMA-214, one of the base's Harrier squadrons. "And if we break it, we will fix it, but we will try not to do that."
The air station's previous commander the past three years, Col. Ben Hancock has been assigned to Joint Task Force-Civil Support in Fort Monroe, Va., where he will be the deputy director.
Werth, who was promoted to the rank of colonel in February, is coming to Yuma from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., where he has served in various assignments.
The change-of-command is a common practice in the Marine Corps' rotation of grooming leaders. Prior to Werth's formal change of command on Wednesday, MCAS Yuma has been led by 21 commanders, dating back to 1959.
Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert, commander of the Marine Corps western bases, also attended the ceremony and praised Hancock for his tenure as the air station's commander.
"You don't run an air station without having problems and issues. It is the nature of what we do," Lehnert said. "It's how you handle those issues and problems that is the measure of a Marine. In your case I couldn't have asked for anyone better."
The general also referred to MCAS Yuma, which is the busiest air station in the Marines, as the jewel of the Corps' aggregation of aviation.
Hancock who jokingly said he wouldn't mind being the air station's permanent commander, admitted he had mixed feelings about leaving.
"It has been a quick three years," said Hancock, who is from Arizona. "I hate to leave. You can do things in Yuma you can't do in any other community in the country."
Hancock also thanked the community for showing such "tremendous" support to the air station and the Marines who served there, during his time there, which has made the base "vitally" important to the military.
He was also awarded the Legion of Merit for his performance while in command at MCAS and cumulative accomplishments in his career.
Sgt. Robert Smith of the air station's public affair's office narrated the ceremony, reminding those in attendance that it was deeply rooted in military traditions.
Smith explained to the large crowd the tradition of the parade of troops, the adjutant's call, the sound off and the transfer of the organizational colors, as they each occurred during the ceremony.
The traditional passing of command began with Hancock presenting the organizational flag to Werth as a gesture of relinquishing command.
Hancock thrust the banner at arms length toward Werth, who saluted him, and then accepted the flag.
Following the ceremony, the two colonels, along with other former commanders of the base who attended the ceremony, performed a ceremonial pass of review of the assembled Marines, who were from Headquarters and Headquarters squadron, as the air station band played.
----
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.
Past Commanding Officers Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Col. L.K. Davis Jan. 10, 1959 to June 30, 1960
Col. K.H. Black July 1, 1960 to July 31, 1963
Col. J.M. Cargill Aug.1, 1963 to June 30, 1965
Col. J.H. McGlothin July 1, 1965 to June 14, 1968
Col. W.J. Sims June 15.1968 to July 31, 1970
Col. E.S. Maloney Aug. 1, 1970 to Aug. 1, 1972
Col. T.H. Nichols Aug. 2, 1972 to March 29, 1974
Lt. Col. K.E. Smith March 30, 1974 to Aug. 8 1974
Col. P.S. Frappollo Aug. 20, 1974 to July 20, 1976
Col. R.R. Norton July 21, 1976 to Oct. 18, 1977
Col. J.J. Hudson Oct. 19, 1977 to May 11, 1980
Col. R.C. Andreas May 12, 1980 to July 28, 1983
Col. R.B. Savage July 29, 1983 to July 10, 1986
Col. W.T. Adams July 11, 1986 to May 3, 1988
Col. R.M. Luckie May 4, 1988 to July 13, 1990
Col. C.B. Cheatham July 14, 1990 to June 24, 1993
Col. W.H. Hansen June 25, 1993 to June 27, 1996
Col. C.J. Turner June 28, 1996 to Aug. 13, 1999
Col. M.E. Condra Aug. 14, 1999 to July 11, 2002
Col. J.J. Cooney July 12, 2002 to July 7, 2005
Col. B.D. Hancock July 7, 2005 to July 2, 2008
Ellie