NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The former Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division commander and assistant commander for Research and Engineering, Naval Air Systems Command here assumed his new position today as the program executive officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs.

Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis assumed command from Lisa Nyalko, who will stay on as the deputy program executive officer for Tactical Aircraft.

Gaddis graduated from Auburn University in 1980 and was commissioned through the Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Fla. Upon completion of flight training and designation as a Naval Flight Officer, he reported for his initial fleet tour in 1983 with the World Famous Red Rippers of VF-11, deploying onboard the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) to the Eastern Mediterranean flying in support of the Multinational Peacekeeping Forces in Lebanon.

In 1986, he reported to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 4 in Point Mugu, Calif., where he was assigned as the AIM-54C Air-to-Air Missile System project officer and operations department head until 1989. Upon completion of this tour, he served aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) as assistant air operations officer and flag tactical action officer; he was assigned to the Cruiser-Destroyer Group (CCDG) 12, which included Red Sea operations in support of Desert Shield, and counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea aboard the USS Bainbridge (CGN-25) and the USS Yorktown (CG-48). In 1992, he reported to VF-84, Jolly Rogers, where he served as operations and maintenance department heads and deployed on Med Cruise 2-93 to the Adriatic Sea and Red Sea, flying combat air patrol and tactical reconnaissance missions in both Bosnia and Iraq.

Following this tour, he joined the Chief of Naval Operations staff in 1994 and served as the fleet’s requirements officer for the AIM-9M, AIM-9X, AIM-7, AIM-54, AIM-120 air-to-air missiles and the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System.

In 1997, Gaddis was designated an aerospace engineering duty officer and proceeded to earn a Masters Degree in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., before his arrival to NAVAIR.

Gaddis is no stranger to PEO(T). Since 1999, he has served as deputy program manager for the F/A-18 Test and Evaluation, operations officer for PEO(T) and program manager for F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265).

He also served as the executive assistant to the Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, and the program manager for Presidential Helicopters (PMA-274) before taking command of NAWCAD in 2008.

Gaddis is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School – TOPGUN, and he has accumulated more than 2,300 flight hours as a Radar Intercept Officer in the F-14A/F-14B/F-4S aircraft to include 523 traps in the F-14 Tomcat.

His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards) and Strike Fighter Air Medal.