Originally created Thursday, April 14, 2005
'Mad Foxes' to change leaders
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The change of command ceremony will culminate a highly successful tour for outgoing Commanding Officer Cmdr. Sean Cannon who is being relieved by Cmdr. William Johns.
Johns will continue to lead the Mad Foxes through the remainder of their deployment and then into the following inter-deployment readiness cycle (IDRC). Johns reported to the squadron in April 2004, assuming duties as executive officer.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska, Johns received a Naval ROTC commission in 1987.
After earning his naval flight officer's wings in May 1989, he reported to VP-30 for initial P-3 training in Jacksonville. His very distinguished career includes an initial fleet tour in Brunswick, Maine with VP-44, which included a deployment to Keflavik, Iceland.
After VP-44's decommissioning in 1991, he joined VP-10 and deployed to Sigonella. In 1993, he returned to VP-30 for instructor duty.
Ordered to Commander, Carrier Group Six in 1996, Johns served as flag secretary and aide and qualified as staff tactical action officer deploying with USS John C. Stennis (CVN 64) Battle Group on its maiden deployment around the world and in support of Operation Southern Watch and United Nations sanctions against Iraq.
In April 1999, he reported to VP-16 in Jacksonville for his aviation department head tour, which included another deployment to Sigonella. In November 2000, Johns joined Com-mander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group in Norfolk, Va. prior to reporting to VP-5.
Cannon's tenure began in April 2004, and he effectively transitioned the Mad Foxes through a challenging IDRC into a demanding worldwide deployment to Italy, El Salvador and Bahrain. The squadron covered three areas of responsibility as well as several detachment sites to various countries.
Cmdr. Sean Cannon
While building 12 combat ready aircrews during the IDRC, six were detached within a three-month period to support European Command (EUCOM) and Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) requirements, executing 298 mishap-free hours and a 100 percent mission completion rate.
In addition to providing FRP surge assistance, the squadron kept pace with readiness requirements while supporting carrier strike groups in numerous operations such as the joint task force exercise, and the composite training unit exercise.
Cannon leaves the Mad Foxes in the middle of an already successful tri-site deployment. Under his charge, VP-5 has charted a new course for the operational employment of maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, achieving a 98 percent mission completion rate during 3,600 flight hours.
While supporting Fifth and Sixth Fleet operations in Central Command (CENTCOM) and EUCOM, the Mad Foxes have also conducted counter-drug operations throughout SOUTHCOM and CENTCOM in support of the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South, aiding in the interdiction of narcotics worth 400 million dollars.
VP-5 also completed numerous missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. His aircrews supported Operations Joint Guardian, Deliberate Forge and Active Endeavor, Strait of Gibraltar escort missions, as well as numerous NATO and multi-national exercises.
Cannon's inspirational leadership led the command to unprecedented combat readiness, while surpassing 147,000 hours of mishap-free flight operations.
He sparked advancement rates the last two cycles that exceeded wing, group, and Navy average, produced the highest chief petty officer selection rate of any VP squadron in the fleet, and received the 2004 Comman-der Atlantic Fleet Retention Excellence Award.
Beginning this summer, Cannon will commence full time study under the Moreau Scholar Program at Johns Hopkins University.
The Mad Foxes also welcome their new Executive Officer Cmdr. Brent Klavon. Klavon's last tour was as executive officer of VP-30.
He is a 1988 graduate of Pennsylvania State Univer-sity and received his commission via Naval ROTC and subsequently began flight training, earning his naval aviator wings in 1989.
