Naval Base Coronado Change of Command Ceremony

Naval Base Coronado Change of Command Ceremony 2 July 2009 Outgoing Commanding Officer has been selected for promotion to Rear Admiral NAVAL BASE CORONADO, CA – Captain Anthony “Tony” Gaiani, commanding officer, Naval Base Coronado (NBC), will pass the trident of command to Captain Yancy Lindsey during a Change of Command ceremony on Thursday, 02 July, at 10:00 a.m., at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI), Carrier Pier, Pier Kilo. In August, Gaiani will be promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral Lower Half (RDML) when he assumes his next position as Commander, Navy Region Midwest. Naval Base Coronado is made up of eight Navy facilities. Those facilities are: Naval Air Station North Island, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Navy Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island, Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach, Silver Strand Training Complex, La Posta Mountain Warfare Training Facility, SERE Training Facility Warner Springs, and Camp Morena. More than 30,000 Sailors, civilians, contractors, and reservists work daily on NBC installations. The following are biographies for both officers. Captain Anthony E. Gaiani, U.S. Navy Captain Tony Gaiani is a native of Lewiston, New York and a 1984 graduate of The Citadel. He was designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1985. Captain Gaiani’s fleet experience includes serving as a Pilot, a Flight Instructor, Department Head and Maintenance Officer with VF-102, VF-101 and VF-84. Also, during this time he graduated with distinction from the US Naval War College and completed the course of instruction at the Joint Forces Staff College. Captain Gaiani’s was assigned as the Air Warfare Officer to Commander, Striking Forces Southern Europe, based in Naples, Italy, where he was responsible for the integration of NATO Carrier forces and TLAM missiles throughout NATO’s southern region. Captain Gaiani first took command in December 2001, as Commanding Officer, VF-213, onboard USS CARL VINSON. Where he participated in the opening rounds of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, leading and flying more than 50 strike missions in Afghanistan, beginning with the first night of this campaign. He also led the BLACKLIONS to Iraq in 2003, where he led and flew numerous strike missions in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Captain Gaiani served as the Chief of Defense Plans for NATO, at the Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers, Europe, in Mons, Belgium. On July 26, 2006, Captain Gaiani assumed his current position as Commanding Officer, Naval Base Coronado, headquartered at Naval Air Station North Island, California. He has accumulated over 3000 flight hours and 600 carrier landings. His awards include two Bronze Stars, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal for valor (two awards), six strike flight Air Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for valor and four gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars, and various campaign and unit awards. Captain Yancy B. Lindsey, U.S. Navy A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Captain Lindsey graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds a Master of Military Science degree from Marine Corps University and a Master of Science in Global Leadership degree from the University of San Diego. Captain Lindsey was commissioned through Aviation Officer Candidate School in October 1986 and was designated a Naval Aviator in December 1987. Captain Lindsey’s initial sea duty assignment was flying LC-130 aircraft in Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6) where he served as a Polar Transport Aircraft Commander, Communications Officer and Aircraft Division Officer while completing three five-month deployments to Antarctica in support of the National Science Foundation’s Operation DEEP FREEZE. Selected for VAW transition, in 1992 Captain Lindsey reported to the VAW-113 Black Eagles where he served as Aircraft Division, Quality Assurance and Assistant Maintenance Officer while participating in the E-2C Group II operational evaluation and completing an Arabian Gulf deployment onboard USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. He again served in VAW-113, from 1997 to 1999, as Administrative and Maintenance Officer while completing an Arabian Gulf deployment onboard USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Captain Lindsey assumed command of the VAW-117 Wallbangers in 2005, earning the Battle Efficiency Award and completing an Arabian Gulf deployment onboard USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Captain Lindsey’s assignments ashore include duty as an Intern/Action Officer in the Joint Staff J6 Directorate’s Global Command and Control System Division; at Marine Corps Command and Staff College completing JPME Phase I; at Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet as the E-2C/C-2A/C-12/C-26 Readiness and Requirements Officer; as a Federal Executive Fellow at The Fletcher School, Tufts University; and at U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany as the Missile Defense Division Chief, Deputy Commander’s Executive Officer, and Director of the Deputy Commander’s Action Group. Captain Lindsey’s decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, (4) Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, (3) Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various other personal achievement, service awards and ribbons.