Cmdr. Michael J. Grabowski, commanding officer of Patrol Squadron 46 officially passed command of the Grey Knights to Cmdr. James Jacobs last Friday.

The 75th Change of Command Ceremony makes VP-46 the oldest operating patrol squadron in the United States Navy, since it was commissioned in 1931.

Hangar 7 was done up with banners, officers and sailors wore dress uniform as the tasteful playing of the horn ensemble, the Regional Navy Band and the piping of the Bellingham Pipers added dignity and beauty to the proceedings.

“Strength and Honor,” were the words Capt. Peter A Garvin, commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10, used to open his remarks about  Grabowski.

“I feel strongly that you’ve done it all and done it well. You turned possibilities into action; tracked 56 hours of PRC submarine contact time and was day to day enthusiastic and ready,” Garvin said.

Grabowski spoke about the Grey Knights’ chiefs, and how as individuals they were the oldest members of the command, but as a team were definitely the best chief’s mess in the Navy.

Then he spoke about sailors who deploy and the wives and husbands who stay home when VP-46 deploys.

“Why do you go into austere environments away from family and friends? Why do you work weekends and holidays and go into harms’ way? Why do we miss anniversaries and birthdays?

“We missed precious moments. It is for freedom,” Grabowski said.

“Freedom is made possible by extraordinary men and women in uniform like you,” he continued. “However, we would not be able to deploy and achieve tactical excellence in the air and achieve maintenance excellence on the ground  without the support of our family. It is our spouses that keep our family on track while we are away from home.”
Grabowski then said he was blessed to have a wonderful wife, Kim, and two outstanding daughters, Abby and Casey, and asked the audience for a round of applause for all the spouses and families.

Grabowski also talked about being a member of the largest Navy in the world, whose fleet tonnage is bigger than the next 13 navies combined, saying it is vital that when “we see something wrong we should take action. Take action, take responsibility, take care.”

The Grey Knights took care to fly the overwatch mission for the Fourth Stryker Brigade as they safely withdrew from Iraq, representing the departure of the last major U.S. ground combat troops in Iraq.

“Within a 36-hour time period, the task group supported two separate carrier transits, flew armed with live Mavericks, deployed 46 sonobouys, and provided 100 percent full motion video coverage while on station,” Grabowski said.
Cmdr. Jacobs said he follows in the footsteps of the leaders who came before him for 75 years.

“We will all remember you. Your humility, your honesty and hard work,” Jacobs said of Cmdr. Grabowski.
“Ladies and gentlemen and sailors,” Jacobs said. “You Grey Knights are the true spirit of professionalism. You are a squadron of volunteers, whose chiefs lead by example with the mindset to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. That’s why the Grey Knights are the oldest and the best.”