Six Army, Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard commanders in Corpus Christi will be replaced with new leaders over the next two months, during a time when public ceremonies must be toned down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pageantry and speeches will remain, just on a smaller scale.
With that in mind, the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce and the South Texas Military Task Force recently sent out a media release saluting the outgoing leaders for their “positive impact on our community and service to our nation.” Their replacements will be similarly recognized as they come on board.
The task force is a non-partisan group of local community and business leaders who advocate for and support local military facilities.
Outgoing military leaders recognized are the following:
REAR ADMIRAL DAN ‘DOZER’ DWYER
Chief of Naval Air Training
The highest-ranking military officer in the Coastal Bend, Dwyer assumed command in July 2019 of nearly 5,000 military and civilian personnel and 700 aircraft across five training wings in three states. The chief of Naval Air Training qualifies more than 1,000 naval aviators and naval flight officers a year for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and international partners.
Based at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Dwyer’s position is responsible for the Blue Angels, the Navy flight demonstration squadron.
In the first of upcoming Change of Command ceremonies, Dwyer was replaced by Rear Admiral Robert D. Westendorff on June 5.
COLONEL GAIL E. ATKINS
Commander of Corpus Christi Army Depot
Atkins became the first female commander at Corpus Christi Army Depot, the largest helicopter facility in the world, in July 2018. The depot is one of the largest employers in the Coastal Bend. Its mission is to repair, overhaul, and modify military helicopters and components for the U.S. military. She was in charge of more than 3,000 soldiers and Army civilians at a facility that contributes $1.2 billion a year to the Texas economy.
CAPTAIN KEVIN ‘FDR’ DELANO
Commodore of Training Air Wing Four
In 2018, Delano began his command of TRAWING 4, one of five training air wings under the chief of Naval Air Training Command. In charge of more than 180 aircraft and simulators, Delano is the officer who pins the Wings of Gold on the Navy’s newest aviators. He was designated a Naval Aviator in 1996. He earned the 2009 International Security Studies Award.
COLONEL BRET ‘CRITTER’ RITTERBY
Commander of Marine Aviation Training Support Group-22
Ritterby assumed his mission to enable Marine aviation training at MATSG-22 in 2018. He has been deployed across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. He has accumulated more than 3,800 hours in tactical jet aircraft. He is a designated Weapons and Tactics Instructor and Training Landing Signal Officer.
CAPTAIN ERIK SPITZER
Commander of Naval Air Station Kingsville
Spitzer assumes command of Joint Base Hickam-Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, after finishing his four-year stint at NAS Kingsville in July. As commander of NAS Kingsville, Spitzer provides advanced training for 50 percent of the Navy’s strike pilots at a facility that contributes $600 million annually to the Texas economy. While at the Kingsville station, he was in charge of $150 million in infrastructure improvements, including renovation of two major aircraft hangars, a ground training building, three new ammunition bunkers, and a state-of-the-art airfield lighting system.
CAPTAIN JASON E. SMITH
Deputy Sector Commander of Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi
Smith is credited with preparing the local economy for dynamic industry shifts and area navigational modifications for increased traffic of the world’s largest vessels to and from the Port of Corpus Christi. He was also in charge of response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which included optimizing $50 million in hurricane recapitalization of two boat stations and a new 300,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art office/hangar facility.
He is Alternate Captain of the Port, Officer-in-Charge of Marine Inspection, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, and Federal On-scene Coordinator for South Texas.