For the Reporter
Daniel D. Cochran, of Kent, assumed command of the “Royal Maces,” a U.S. Navy strike fighter squadron (VFA-27), during a ceremony July 13 aboard the USS Ronald Reagan supercarrier deployed in the western Pacific Ocean.
Cochran takes command from Adrian T. Calder.
In preparation of assuming command, Cochran said, “Commander Calder has prepared this squadron for success in every aspect of our vital mission. He has ensured VFA-27 remain an elite fighting force; vital to diplomacy across this region and the world. I’m extremely blessed to become the custodian of such a fine unit and given the opportunity to lead this group of professionals. They are truly exemplary.”
Cochran graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N.Y., in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering. He was commissioned through the NROTC (Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps) program and earned his designation as Naval aviator in April 2001. After completing his junior officer tour with Strike Fighter Squadron 195, Cochran reported to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) to study aeronautical engineering as part of a joint AFIT and U.S, Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) program, which he completed and was named Distinguished Graduate.
Upon graduation, Cochran reported to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 and then on to Strike Fighter Squadron 192 for his department head tour. He then returned to Patuxent River, Md., to serve as an instructor at USNTPS, where he was selected for command and slated to Strike Fighter Squadron 27.
During his career, he has accumulated more than 2,800 flight hours in 31 aircraft and more than 600 carrier-arrested landings.
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