A change of command ceremony is scheduled at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 20 in the hangar for Training Squadron 7 at Naval Air Station Meridian.

Cmdr. Steven Vitrella will relieve Cmdr. Jason Gustin, who has served as the squadron’s commanding officer since December, 2016, according to NAS Meridian news release. Under Gustin’s leadership, Training Squadron 7 executed 11 training detachments, flew in excess of 10,500 sorties totaling 13,200 flight hours and executed more than 1,400 carrier arrested landings, according to the news release. His leadership resulted in the winging of 61 new Naval aviators, two international military officers, and the designation of 13 instructor pilots. Cmdr.

Gustin will retire after 20 years of Naval service, according to the news release.

Cmdr. Vitrella assumes command of the squadron after serving as executive officer for the past 18 months. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor of science degree in microbiology and cellular science. He was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, in March 2001, according to the news release. Following training with Training Squadron 7, he earned his “Wings of Gold” on board Naval Air Station Meridian in September 2003. He then reported to VAQ-129 in Whidbey Island, Washington, to begin fleet replacement training in the EA-6B Prowler, according to the news release.

In 2004, he was assigned to the “Shadowhawks” of VAQ-141 where he served as a First Lieutenant, Schedules Officer, Aircraft Division Officer, and Assistant Operations Officer. The “Shadowhawks” supported Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Arabian Gulf on board USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) where he and the squadron conducted simultaneous split-site combat operations from the aircraft carrier and Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.

In preparation for the EA-6B Prowler community’s transition to the EA-18G Growler, Vitrella was selected in 2008 as one of the first EA-6B aircrew to attend the Hornet/Super Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron, VFA-106 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. There he gained invaluable experience as a student, and later as a qualified strike/fighter instructor.

Reporting as a department head in 2012 to the “Rooks” of VAQ-137, he served as the Safety Officer, Administrative Officer, Operations Officer, and Maintenance Officer. There Vitrella attended HAVOC, the Navy’s Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School, and helped guide the “Rooks” through their first-ever work up and deployment cycle in the EA-18G, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve and other Task Force operations.

In 2015, Vitrella completed a short overseas tour in Stuttgart, Germany, while assigned to U.S. Africa Command where he served as an Operations Officer in the Joint Operations Center overseeing U.S. interests and crisis operations on the continent.

Vitrella has more than 3,100 flight hours and over 325 arrested landings. His personal decorations include the Air Medal (six awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (one award), and the Joint Commendation Medal (one award).