Bunnay

The Naval Air Station in Meridian will have a new commanding officer this week, as Capt. Brian “Headless” Horstman” relieves Capt. Scott “Buggs” Bunnay from his leadership position.

Bunnay served for three years at NAS Meridian, overseeing a $33 million annual budget, 496,868 flight operations at two airfields and 324 naval aviators earning their wings. During his time with NAS Meridian, Bunnay revised the Anti-Terrorism Plan, established the first Auxiliary Security Force in more than 25 years and oversaw repairs and renovations to infrastructure, according to a Navy news release. 

Bunnay will next be assigned to the Joint Military Attache School in Washington, D.C. as the Senior Defense Official/ Defense Attache (Designate) to Italy. 

Horstman graduated from Texas A&M University, earning a degree in engineering technology, and was commissioned through the NROTC program. He was designated a Naval Flight Officer in September of 1996 and went on to earn a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in 2009, according to the news release.

Horstman has “served as legal officer, aircraft division officer and NFO Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization Program officer while attached to Sea Control Squadron 21 aboard the USS Independence and USS Kitty Hawk; assistant air operations officer while attached to Commander, Strike Force Training, Atlantic aboard the USS Enterprise, USS George Washington, USS John F. Kennedy, USS Theodore Roosevelt, and USS Harry S. Truman; quality assurance officer, admin officer, and maintenance officer while attached to Sea Control Squadron 22 aboard the USS George Washington; and operations officer aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. As operations officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, he deployed on two cruises to the Middle East supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), according to the news release.

Horstman’s shore tours include service at Training Squadron 86 as an advanced jet naval flight officer instructor, and command of Training Squadron 86, according to the release.

The release said Horstman’s last tour was as deputy commander, Cruise Missile Support Activity, Atlantic.