Whidbey squadrons get a new skipper
Published 11:17 pm Wednesday, February 20, 2008
OAK HARBOR — Whidbey Island’s electronic warfare fleet of airplanes will have a new commanding officer Friday.
Capt. Bradley Russell will relieve Capt. Thomas Tack as the commander of Pacific Fleet’s Electronic Attack Wing at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, will be the guest speaker.
Tack led the beginning of the wing’s move from the subsonic EA-6B Prowler to the supersonic EA-18G Growler. He initiated construction for aircrew and maintenance training, flight simulators, maintenance training and more. Tack will retire with 26 years of naval service.
Russell, a native of Bandon, Ore., graduated in 1984 from Southern Oregon State College with a degree in economics.
He received his commission from Aviation Officer Candidate School in April 1985. He also is a distinguished graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School with a master’s degree in management.
Russell’s sea assignments include several tours with Prowler squadrons on aircraft carriers, including squadron commander. He was assistant strike operations officer on the USS Saratoga, and operations officer for a carrier wing.
On the shore, Russell has been a operations officer for the Pacific electronic attack wing, served the Navy in the Pentagon and has been a division chief at the National Courterterrorism Center.
A year ago, he returned to Whidbey as deputy commander of the electronic attack wing.
Larsen said he was asked by Tack to speak at the change of command ceremony. The Everett congressman is co-chairman of a congressional electronic warfare working group and an advocate for replacing the EA-6B Prowlers with the EA-18G warplanes.
The first Growlers are expected to arrive at Whidbey in June. They will gradually replace subsonic Prowlers between now and 2013. This year’s federal budget had money for the first 18 Growlers.
The wing directs and oversees the operations of 14 Prowler squadrons, a fleet replacement squadron, the Electronic Attack Weapons School, the EA-18G fleet introduction team, the Expeditionary Logistics Unit and Fleet Readiness Center at Whidbey — 75 aircraft and more than 4,000 personnel.
