EPISODE TWENTY-NINE
Welcome to “Safe on Deck”. My name is Antonio Gemma More'. In the fleet I flew the MH-53E “Sea Dragon” helicopter, and these days I instruct the next generation of Naval Flight Officers in the T-6A “Texan II”. Throughout my incredibly short time in aviation I have been fortunate to meet a wide cross-section of aviators. Along the way I have done my best to document each and every flying memory, but eventually I came to realize that even the sharpest photo or the highest-quality video can only really capture so much.. Everyone I have met has a unique story to tell, and “Safe on Deck” is my humble attempt to capture as many of those exciting and inspiring aviation stories as possible.
For episode twenty-nine I sat down with CDR Jason Agostinelli in Pensacola, Florida. CDR Agostinelli earned his commission via the United States Naval Academy in May 2003, and following completion of flight training aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola and Randolph Air Force Base he earned his Wings of Gold in February 2005. For his first sea tour, CDR Agostinelli joined Patrol Squadron FOUR SEVEN (VP-47) “Golden Swordsman” in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, where he served as a P-3C “Orion” mission commander, instructor Naval Flight Officer (NFO), and primary NFO NATOPS evaluator. While at VP-47, CDR Agostinelli amassed over 1600 combat and maritime patrol flight hours, flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. For his second sea tour, CDR Agostinelli reported to Special Reconnaissance Team TWO (SRT-2) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he served as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Unmanned Aerial Systems Troop. CDR Agostinelli led a department of 40 personnel and managed four specialized unmanned aerial systems (UAS) platforms, all while completing two combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan supporting special operations forces. In October 2011, CDR Agostinelli reported for his third sea tour to Special Projects Patrol Squadron TWO (VPU-2) “Wizards”, where he logged 1000 combat hours as a navigator, tactical coordinator and mission commander, all while working in the configurations department where he managed the unique and highly-specialized sensor configurations of multiple “Special Projects” aircraft. Next, CDR Agostinelli was selected to serve as avionics systems projects officer at the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office (PMA-290) Airborne Multi-Intelligence and Special Missions branch, where he led the command’s Quick Reaction Capability program, integrating state-of-the-art sensors into EP-3 and P-3 aircraft. For his department head tour, CDR Agostinelli returned to VPU-2, where he served as both the configurations department head and operations officer. After a brief tour at USSOCOM, CDR Agostinelli served as commanding officer of Training Squadron TEN (VT-10) where he lead the Navy’s only squadron charged with primary flight instruction of Student Naval Flight Officers (SNFO).
Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview please leave it as a comment below. “Safe on Deck” episode twenty-nine, with CDR Jason Agostinelli. Enjoy!
Podcast timestamps:
24:10 - The four fans of freedom
49:54 - "WRONG RUNWAY!"
1:04:34 - Flying the ScanEagle over Afghanistan with Special Reconnaissance Team TWO
1:22:16 - Jessica Buchanan
1:39:48 - Shaping the future of Naval Aviation: leading Training Squadron TEN
"Safe on Deck" is now available on Apple Podcasts!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **
23 окт 2022
