Lemoore Naval Air Station welcomes new commander, bids farewell to old at base ceremony

A change of command ceremony took place Monday at Lemoore Naval Air Station in which the base welcomed a new base commander and bid farewell to the old one.

Officers, enlisted personnel and others bid farewell to Capt. Monty Ashliman, base commander for 3 1/2 years.

Ashliman will move to Norfolk, Va., where he will serve as operations officer for the Navy’s Mid-Atlantic Region, helping to oversee shore-based personnel and activities in several states and installations.

The ceremony also served as the welcoming event for Capt. David James, the new base commander who previously was assigned to the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tenn.

James, 47, served a year at Lemoore 10 years ago as an instructor at the base’s Fleet Replacement Squadron. He grew up on an apple farm in upstate New York.

Lemoore Naval Air Station is the Navy’s West Coast air base and home to several F/A-18 Super Hornet squadrons. Ten new F-35C jet fighters are expected to arrive next year.

About 15,000 people work at the base, of which 7,000 are active duty personnel, including reservists. The base has an annual payroll of about $427 million.

This story was originally published October 17, 2016 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Lemoore Naval Air Station welcomes new commander, bids farewell to old at base ceremony."