Change of Command Ushers in a New Era

On Friday, March 19 at 11 a.m. in a stirring ceremony, Capt. Stephen Schmeiser relieved Capt. Andrew Macyko as Commander of the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River. The ceremony was held in the VX-1 Hangar 305 on base.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Naval District Washington Commandant Rear Adm. Patrick Lorge. Prior to the ceremony, Schmeiser served as NAS Pax River’s executive officer since July of 2008.

According to the Web site: https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Patuxent/AboutCNIC/Biographies/XO/index.htm, Capt. Schmeiser, a native of Massapequa, Long Island, New York, graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry in 1984. He completed Aviation Officer Candidate School training and was commissioned an Ensign in March 1985. Completing primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas in June 1986 he was awarded his pilot “wings of gold” in July 1986.

Reporting to VAW-120, the east coast Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), in August 1986 for training in the E-2C Hawkeye, CAPT Schmeiser completed the FRS syllabus and reported to VAW-122 Steeljaws in September 1987. He served as Schedules Officer, Aircraft Division Officer, Pilot NATOPS Officer, and Squadron LSO during his tour. He completed two extended deployments aboard USS FORRESTAL (CV59) and two Northern Wedding exercises. During the Indian Ocean deployment in 1988, he participated in flight operations in support of Earnest Will Operations (reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers). He earned his AIRLANT Wing LSO qualification in March 1990.

Receiving orders to the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) Class 99 in April 1990, he completed the Engineering Test Pilot syllabus in June 1991. Reporting to Force Warfare Test Directorate (FWATD) in July 1991, he served as the T-56A-427 engine and GPS/MFCDU Project Officer. He is co-holder of 9 altitude and airspeed World Records in the T-56A-427 powered E-2C Plus aircraft and he assisted in the development of new techniques evaluating Vmc (dynamic minimum controlled airspeed) for the E-2C Plus aircraft.