NAFEC ceremony signals a return to normalcy
NAF EL CENTRO — Capt. William Perkins arrived at his final command with little fanfare, but the Navy made certain his career came to an end with the honor it deserved.
Perkins turned over the command of NAFEC on Tuesday to Capt. Michael D. Lee in a formal change-of-command ceremony in the air base’s Hangar 4.
The occasion also served as Perkins’ retirement ceremony following a naval career that began in 1994.
Both the change-of-command and retirement ceremonies were presided over by Rear Adm. Stephen D. Barnett, commander of Navy Region Southwest.
The formalities lasted for a little more than an hour and provided a stark contrast to Perkins’ arrival at NAFEC in March 2020, when the entire facility had been placed in lock-down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perkins officially took his final Navy job in abbreviated ceremony with limited participants was conducted at the installation’s main flag pole.
For most of its commanding officers, running the air training facility is an opportunity to make the necessary arrangements to transition into civilian life.
In Perkins’ case, any plans he had coming into to job were upended by a global crisis, and his focus became how to successfully continue the base’s mission under a new normal and ensure everyone was following safety protocols and “doing things our way.”
He also endeavored to help keep spirits up for the families with young children on the base by arranging activities such as contactless visits from the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus and a drive-thru haunted RV park for Halloween.
In addition, he made arrangements for the air facility’s security personnel to have more heat-appropriate uniforms to wear at their posts. He also the advanced plans to rid the base of a burnedout A-6 aircraft that had been used for fire training in the 1980s but long since had become simply an eyesore. He also helped get the green light for a new fire station on base that is expected to break ground later this year.
Perkins said he and his wife, Melissa, now plan to spend the next three months visiting family around the country. Afterward, he said they plan to settle in the Phoenix, Ariz., area, where he intends to pursue a career in the private sector.