Student pilots at Naval Air Station Meridian welcomed a new commanding officer Friday in a change of command ceremony as CDR Gregory B. Enzinger was named the leader of Training Squadron Seven.

Enzinger, who has served as executive officer of Training Squadron Seven since September 2020, has extensive experience in both flying Navy aircraft and training others in their use.

The Marietta, Georgia native has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 400 carrier arrested landings throughout his career, which includes more than 50 combat missions.

In his remarks Friday, Enzinger praised the accomplishments of Training Squadron Seven under outgoing Commanding Officer CDR Dylan Porter and pledged to grow the squadron’s legacy of preparing pilots to serve their country.

The mission of Training Squadron Seven is to produce pilots, Enzinger said, and the squadron and its instructors are measured by the quantity of pilots they turn out.

However, he said, quantity must be balanced with quality, and Training Squadron Seven has a long history of high quality graduates.

Under his command, Enzinger announced plans to update the training syllabus used to train pilots to include the most up-to-date techniques and equipment. Incorporating new tools and new technologies such as virtual reality into the  syllabus will not only produce quality pilots but make sure those pilots are ready to face the threats of the modern age.

Enzinger praised the students of Training Squadron Seven for their hard work and commitment to becoming the best pilots they could be. Their effort and resolve, he said, was the reason the squadron met its quantity goals.

Training Squadron Seven is also home to highly-trained instructors, Enzinger said. Each instructor has proven themselves in real-world situations doing things many civilians couldn’t imagine. That experience coupled with a desire to help students succeed is what makes Training Squadron Seven graduates some of the best, he said.

Turning the command over to Enzinger, Porter said he had been honored to serve as the commanding officer of Training Squadron Seven and thanked the instructors, students, mechanics and civilian staff that put in the work every day to help the squadron meet its goals.

Porter said he was proud of what the squadron had accomplished under his command and excited to see it reach new heights under the capable leadership of Enzinger.

After leaving NAS Meridian, Porter will next serve as Air Boss aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.