By Staff
Naval Air Station Meridian's Training Squadron 9 welcomed a new commanding officer Thursday Cmdr. Paul "Happy" Shankland, shown at left with his wife, Charmaine. Shankland relieved Cmdr. Charles "Catfish" Aley.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor's degree in pure mathematics, Shankland is a native of Greensboro, N.C. He has accumulated more than 3,300 hours of flight time and has made 352 landings aboard aircraft carriers. Shankland and his wife have two sons, Nicholas, 13, and Rudger, 11.
The mission of Training Squadron 9 is to train Naval aviators for the United States and other international navies. Upon successful completion of training, students receive the coveted "Wings of Gold" and are transferred to the Fleet Replacement Squadron.
Photo by Anna Wright / The Meridian Star
June 13, 2003