Air Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Systems Program Office (PMA-264) held a change of command and retirement ceremony Sept. 7 here at the Rear Adm. W. A. Moffett Building.

Capt. Matt Tobler relieved Capt. Luis Ramirez as commander of PMA-264, which includes sonobuoys, multi-static active acoustic search systems, high altitude ASW, and airborne ASW intelligence programs.

Rear Adm. Paul Grosklags, the program executive officer for Air ASW Assault and Special Mission Programs (PEO(A)), presided over the ceremony. He thanked Ramirez for his 25 years of dedicated service, and recognized his accomplishments with a Legion of Merit award and a certificate of appreciation from President Obama.

Grosklags recognized the program’s accomplishments under Ramirez’s tenure and welcomed Tobler to the team. “In the ASW community, we have a tendency to focus on the large platforms–the P-3, P-8 and H-60,” said Grosklags. “But quite frankly they’re the trucks, and it’s the sensors that PMA-264 provides that allow them to accomplish their mission. So what you all do here in PMA-264 is absolutely critical.”

Tobler feels confident, looks forward to working with the 264 team, and already has an outline for the near future. “The next few years will indeed be transformational for anti-submarine warfare. We will transition our sensors to a family of new platforms, and we will facilitate a new era of tactics enabled by wide area acoustic search and undersea engagements derived from global positioning system coordinates,” he said.

“As we progress through these exciting times, we’ll be challenged by technical and programmatic complexities, constantly evolving threats, and serious fiscal constraints. I have every confidence that success in this environment will be won by the unyielding efforts of the incredibly talented workforce that is PMA-264.”

Tobler entered the Navy in 1990 through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering mechanics. Following designation as a naval flight officer in September 1992, he reported to Sea Control Squadron TWENTY FOUR (VS-24).

Tobler reported to the Naval Postgraduate School in June 1997, where he earned a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Md. in December 1999 and served two years as project officer and S-3B test naval flight officer in Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Zero.

Tobler returned to VS-24 in 2001 for his department head tour, then joined the aerospace engineering duty off