Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD -- A friendship between three military officers who spent a year together in 1987 as members of the ninety-third graduating class of the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School (TPS) at Patuxent River has survived for 15 years. Despite duty tours that sent them in many different directions, U.S. Navy Capt. Jeff Wieringa, Canadian Air Force LCol. Brent Anderson and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Mark Adamshick are now commanding officers of F/A-18 programs. The three were recently reunited in Cold Lake Alberta, Canada, for LCol Anderson’s change of command ceremony.

Capt. Jeff Wieringa, F/A-18 program manager, began his Naval service in 1973 through the Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate (AVROC) Program. He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1976 and was designated as a Naval Aviator in 1977. He has flown 40 different types of aircraft, including the F/A-18, F-14, A-6 and A-7 aircraft and various helicopters, accumulating over 4000 flight hours and 534 carrier landings. He took command as the F/A-18 Program Manager in April 2000.

Wieringa was selected to attend TPS in July 1987 and despite the rigorous study schedule he said the three men enjoyed each other’s company so much that they made time to get together outside the classroom and started what would become a lifelong friendship.

“Mark Adamshick was single and an F-14 RIO when we met at TPS,” Wieringa said. “He did a brief tour at Strike after the class ended. I also spent some time at Strike and although we didn’t work together, we were still able to socialize.”

“The Andersons were family friends. Our wives were friends and our daughters, who are the same age, were in grade school together. They were the best of pals. They are a tremendous family and had a wonderful time here exploring America.”

LCol Anderson joined the Canadian Forces in 1972 and became a fighter pilot in 1977. He is currently the commanding officer of the CF18 (F/A-18) Operational Training Squadron. The squadron is responsible for training Canadian CF18 pilots, and houses the Canadian fighter weapons school, as well as a squadron for operational test and evaluation (OT&E) for the CF18.

Following TPS, Anderson has spent 10 years with developmental test and evaluation, and the last five years as Chief Test Pilot (Canadians call it Senior Test Pilot) at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment.

Anderson said, “When I attended Class 93 in 1987, Capt. Wieringa was the class leader and Cmdr. Adamshick was in my syndicate. Just like all TPS classes, Class 93 was very close, with everyone helping one another a great deal. This was also true for foreign students, like myself, and for our families.”

He said since TPS there have been several impromptu reunions (often hosted by the Wieringas). “Like all graduates, when you work so hard for a year with such great people, you form life-long friendships.”

As the commanding officer of VFA-122, the first F/A-18 Super Hornet squadron, based at Lemoore, Calif. Cmdr. Mark Adamshick holds a position similar to Anderson. The squadron’s mission is to train Super Hornet aviators and maintainers to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations from the sea.

Adamshick entered the United States Naval Academy in 1977. Following graduation, he attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida and was designated a Naval Flight Officer in November 1982. Primarily throughout his career he has flown and conducted flight-testing on the F-14 Tomcat and was involved in the platform’s air-to-ground integration. He has also commanded an F-14D operational squadron.

Adamshick said, “Each TPS class had about 30 students who spent many long hours studying together. At that time Capt. Wieringa was a lieutenant commander and an A-6 pilot; LCol. Anderson was a captain and an F/A-18 pilot and I was a Navy lieutenant and an F-14 RIO. The three of us had a unique friendship then, and what makes it so unique is that we were all three from distinct different backgrounds. Coincidentally today we all have positions of infinite responsibility in the F/A-18 program.”

For more information pertaining to this story contact Denise Deon Wilson, Public Affairs Officer for the Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft, at 301-481-6263 or [email protected]. This story was written by Nicolette Cormier, PMA265 Program Support.

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Caption - Former TPS classmates together again in Cold Lake Alberta, Canada, for LCol Anderson’s change of command ceremony. Pictured left to right, Cmdr Mark Adamshick, LCol Brent Anderson and Capt Jeff Wieringa.