Capt. David Halloran, outgoing commanding officer of Naval Air Station Fallon, right, turns over command to Capt. Evan Morrison during a change of command ceremony held in hangar seven on the base.
Naval Air Station Fallon conducted a change of command and retirement ceremony Friday in Hangar Seven.
During the ceremony Capt. Evan Morrison from Chatham, Illinois, relieved Capt. David Halloran, who retired after 27 years of service.
Rear Adm. Yancy Lindsey, commander, Navy Region Southwest was the guest speaker and spoke highly of Halloran and the NAS Fallon crew.
“Over the past 36 months, Skipper Halloran has led Naval Air Station in supporting the fleet, the fighter, and the family,” Lindsey said. “The sailors in formation behind you and the civilian and contract employees sitting among you have, first and foremost, focused on mission. As resources have become more scarce and the fleet’s operational tempo increased, their efforts to maintain and improve support to NAS Fallon’s tenant commands, visiting aircrews and airwings has been superb.”
Halloran has served as the commanding officer since March 2016. He thanked his family, friends, and the men and women of NAS Fallon for their support during his time as commanding officer.
“To the entire NAS Fallon team, I reiterate my deep appreciation that I have been giving over the past couple of months,” Halloran said. “Your efforts have been instrumental in making Fallon great again. I am consistently in awe of the dedication and efforts made by this great team on a daily basis. Each and every one of you is why NAS Fallon is hands down the best naval base on which I have ever served.”
During the ceremony, Halloran was presented with the Legion of Merit for his performance as commanding officer for the three years he was in Fallon. Morrison officially took command of NAS Fallon as orders were read and salutes were rendered.
“I have always been a firm believer that we in the military are in the customer service-oriented industry,” Morrison said. “As the base commanding officer, there are numerous customers that I must serve. There is the staff and all the personnel that make this base function every day. There are all the personnel and families that live in base housing and the community. There are the tenant commands, each with their individual missions, challenges and personnel to care for. There is the local community with which we partner and support and receive support from that I must serve. One aspect that I will always keep in mind is that this job is not about me, but it’s about the people that work for me, with me and alongside me.”
Morrison completed his assignment serving as a Secretary of Defense Executive Fellow assigned to Apple, Inc. in Cupertino, Calif., before transferring to Fallon.
He has accumulated over 3,300 hours in six different aircraft. Personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and various unit and service awards.