Friday, February 21, 2003 – NAVAIR Lakehurst, Lakehurst, NJ -- Captain Mark L. Bathrick relieved Captain Dwight L. Cousins in a traditional change-of-command ceremony conducted at 10:00 a.m. on the 7,500-acre base located near the Pinelands of Southern New Jersey.

Rear Admiral Timothy Heely, Commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., the parent command, presided as orders from the Navy Personnel Command were read and command was passed from Capt. Cousins to Capt. Bathrick as most of the 3,000 uniformed, civil servant, and contractor team looked on.

Since his youth in New York, Capt. Bathrick has flown 3,700 hours in 31 different types of aircraft (mostly in the F-14 Tomcat) and has logged over 800 carrier landings. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy and the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). He has been a chief test pilot and a commanding officer. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Strike Flight Air Medal, and multiple Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement medals as well as numerous service and campaign awards.

Capt. Bathrick’s base supports the Navy’s aircraft carriers and also smaller ships designed to launch and recover helicopters as part of their missions. Employees at the base design, develop, test and improve anything that links aircraft to ships. This includes the large catapult and recovery systems, aircraft testing and support systems and the 500,000 items needed to support the variety of carrier-based aircraft.

“When citizens call 911, the police answer. When the President calls 911, the Navy’s aircraft carriers answer. When the Navy’s aircraft carriers call 911, NAVAIR Lakehurst answers,” explained Thomas Worsdale, pubic affairs officer.

Capt. Bathrick is married to the former Marybeth Hennessy, also of Whitesboro, and they reside in Lakehurst, New Jersey with their son Mark.

Photo: After each read his orders in a traditional change-of-command ceremony at the NAVAIR Lakehurst, Lakehurst, NJ, Captain Mark L. Bathrick, the new commanding officer, shakes hands with Captain Dwight L. Cousins whom he relieved as presiding officer, Admiral Timothy Heely, Commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md. looked on.