By Dave Marriott, Fleet Readiness Center East Public Affairs Office

CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA - Navy Capt. Andrew C. Lynch took the helm of the Specialized and Proven Aircraft Program Office — PMA-226 — from Cmdr. Anthony K. Jaramillo in a ceremony June 9 at Miller’s Landing.

Jaramillo will continue on to his next assignment as the executive officer for Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in San Diego, Calif.

Throughout his two-year tour at PMA-226, Jaramillo led efforts to incorporate the Navy’s adversary aircraft — F-5 and F-16 — and contracted air services programs into the PMA-226 portfolio, and to align and integrate the F-5 and F-16 into the Naval Aviation Enterprise. He also managed more than $500 million in contracts, and the deactivation of the CH-46 Sea Knight, ensuring a smooth transition of the medium lift mission to the V-22 Osprey.

Naval Air Systems Command Assistant Commander for Acquisition Gary Kurtz credited Jaramillo’s leadership, during his remarks, for making “everything happen” and said his team “had the courage to take on new challenges, the brains to solve tough problems, and the heart to never give in and always make it to the end because the team believed in Jaramillo’s support and leadership.” Kurtz closed, thanking Jaramillo for a “great tour of duty” and for the support and leadership he provided AIR-1.0, Naval Air Systems Command and “our great” Navy.

This is the second command tour for Lynch, who also served as the 43rd commanding officer of the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School on Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. He came to the PMA from NAVAIR, where he was the military director of the Air Vehicle Engineering Department, AIR-4.3.

Earlier in his career Lynch flew the H-46D with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 11 and the MH-60S with HC-5, including while deployed aboard five ships. He has also served as an instructor pilot, and completed tours with PMA-299, AIR-4.5 and AIR-4.1. Lynch has flown 36 different types of military aircraft and accumulated more than 2,990 mishap-free flight hours.

His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Admiral Tamandare Merit Medal. Lynch was also recognized as the 2002 Naval Test Wing Atlantic Test Pilot of the Year.