UPDATE: THE NAVY HAS CONFIRMED CAPT. NEWMAN IS THE FIRST FEMALE COMMANDING OFFICER OF NAS PENSACOLA.
Capt. Terry ‘Village’ Shashaty will be relieved as the NAS Pensacola commanding officer during a change of command and retirement ceremony on Friday, Nov. 15, at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) onboard the air station. Capt. Shashaty will be succeeded by Capt. Chandra ‘Mamasan’ Newman. This is not a public event.
Shashaty will retire after the ceremony, completing a 26-year U.S. Navy career. A native of Brooklyn, New York, he is a 1998 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He also received a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies. He was selected as one of four U.S. officers enrolled in the Naval Staff College, the U.S. Naval War College’s program for mid-grade international naval officers representing 39 countries from across the globe.
Designated a Naval Aviator in October 2000, Shashaty completed four operational carrier deployments flying the EA-6B Prowler and oversaw the transition to the EA-18G Growler and its inaugural expeditionary deployment to the Indo-Pacific area.
- In 2022, during the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association luncheon, Capt Shashaty announced that Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola would be named the Commander, Navy Installations Command’s (CNIC) Installation (Large) of the Year for 2022. The award recognizes the top Navy shore commands for their installation management, program excellence and community outreach during fiscal year 2021.
Capt. Newman, a native of Inverness, Florida, received her wings of gold in August 2004, serving with Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons. She most recently served as the Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) Leadership, Education, Growth, Advocacy, Culture, and Youth Outreach (LEGACY) director.
- We believe Newman is NAS Pensacola’s first female commanding officer. Other historically significant female figures in naval aviation at NAS Pensacola include Barbara A. Rainey, one of the first female Navy pilots, and Rosemary Mariner, the first woman to command an operational naval aviation squadron. We are seeking confirmation from the Navy.
