Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Adam Garnett signals an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 on the flight deck of the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3). Image courtesy Navy.
Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Adam Garnett signals an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 on the flight deck of the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3). Image courtesy Navy.

The combat helicopter squadrons based in San Diego and around the Pacific have a new commander, the Navy reported Friday.

Capt. Ben Reynolds relieved Capt. Larry Vincent as commander of Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific during a ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island Thursday.

Reynolds oversees 10 helicopter sea combat squadrons, a fleet replacement squadron, a weapons and tactics school, and an unmanned aerial vehicle detachment.

The squadrons, school and detachments are based at NAS North Island; Naval Facility Atsugi, Japan; Anderson Air Force Base in Yigo, Guam; and NAS Point Mugu in Oxnard.

He and his staff manage the administrative, operational, and training requirements of more than 3,700 military personnel, and maintenance requirements for more than 150 aircraft, to make sure they’re combat-ready, the Navy said.

Reynolds had been Vincent’s deputy and was previously commander of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 6.

Vincent, who helped the squadrons introduce the Fire Scout drone helicopter into the fleet, is moving on to become chief of staff to the commander of U.S. naval forces for Europe and Africa.

—City News Service