Naval Career
Following transitional training with the Pacific Fleet A-7 Fleet Replacement Squadron, Attack Squadron 122 (VA-122), Mayer initially flew the A-7E Corsair II with the “Dambusters” of Attack Squadron 195 (VA-195) at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, deploying with the Pacific Fleet. He would later fly with other NAS Lemoore-based squadrons, the “Fist of the Fleet” of Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25) and the "Flying Eagles" of VA-122, the latter as an A-7 instructor pilot. Subsequent flying assignments took him to Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida for recurrent training with the "Hellrazors" of Attack Squadron 174 (VA-174) followed by assignment to the “Gunslingers” of Attack Squadron 105 (VA-105), where he deployed with the Atlantic Fleet. He then transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet for his command tour with the “Rampagers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 83 (VFA-83), also based at NAS Cecil Field. He has accumulated over 4,000 flight hours and logged more than 1,000 carrier-arrested landings.
Mayer served in the following shore duty assignments: Executive Assistant to the Chief of Legislative Affairs; Light Attack/Strike Fighter Junior Officer Detailer with the Navy's Bureau of Personnel (BUPERS) in Washington, D.C.; Spanish Command and Staff College in Madrid, Spain; the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, where he obtained a Master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. Promoted to Rear Admiral (Lower Half), his first flag officer assignment was as Deputy Director of Operations (DJ3) at Headquarters, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. On September 11, 2001, while serving as Deputy Director of Operations at U.S. Central Command, he was quickly thrust into a major leadership role during the planning and execution of Operation Enduring Freedom. On February 15, 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that President George W. Bush had promoted him to the grade of Rear Admiral (Upper Half).
Rear Admiral Mayer's other command tours included commanding officer of the Atlantic Fleet F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadron, the "Gladiators" of Strike Fighter Squadron 106 (VFA-106); Commander, Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7); Commander, Carrier Group Eight (COMCARGRU 8); and a dual command assignment as both Commander, Navy Region South (COMNAVREG SOUTH), responsible for all naval shore installations in northwest Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Texas, and Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA), responsible for the entire Naval Air Training Command, to include all naval flight training schools, training air wings and training squadrons in Florida, Mississippi and Texas. He assumed command of the Naval Safety Center in August 2005 and relinquished command and retired from the U.S. Navy in October 2007.
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