Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) recognized the accomplishments of five Naval Aviation squadrons March 24, honoring them with the fiscal year 2020 Cmdr. Theodore G. Ellyson Production Excellence Awards.
CNATRA Rear Adm. Robert Westendorff presented the awards during CNATRA’s Production Alignment Conference in San Antonio.
Awardees are: Primary squadron – the “Boomers” of Training Squadron (VT) 27 based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi; advanced squadron – the “Sabrehawks” of VT-86 based at NAS Pensacola, Florida; Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic – the “Pro’s Nest” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 30 based at NAS Jacksonville, Florida; Commander, Naval Air Force Pacific – the “Seahawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 41 based at NAS North Island, San Diego; and U.S. Marine Corps – the KC-130J fleet replacement detachment based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
The Ellyson awards program is one of three Chief of Naval Operations aviation-related award programs. It examines squadrons’ efficiency, ability to meet fleet requirements for production, time to train, and mitigation strategies to combat external resource or execution barriers if present. All Navy and Marine Corps fleet replacement squadrons (FRS), Marine aviation training units, and all CNATRA training squadrons are eligible for the awards. Each winning squadron received a plaque to commemorate the achievement.
The awards are named for Cmdr. Theodore G. Ellyson, the first naval officer to undergo aviation training and designated naval aviator #1 in 1914. Ellyson was instrumental in the development of all facets of Naval Aviation including the establishment of the first flight training sites, which were termed naval aviation camps, in Annapolis, Maryland, and San Diego.
“Training and developing our students to be the best aviation professionals in the world is critical to the security of our nation,” Westendorff said. “We rely on the dedicated men and women of our training squadrons and fleet replacement squadrons to meet fleet aviation manning requirements. Today we recognize these five squadrons for their production efficiency in FY-20.”
CNATRA trains the world's finest combat-quality aviation professionals, delivering them at the right time, in the right numbers, and at the right cost to a naval force that is where it matters, when it matters. 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 curricula for all Navy and Marine Corps FRS units.