Navy VQ-3 squadron welcomes new commander Published June 3, 2011 By Navy Lt. j.g. Matthew Pelonzi VQ-3 Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Navy Cdr. Edward D. McCabe took the reins from Navy Cdr. Terry L. Obermeyer as commanding officer of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Three during a ceremony at Tinker Air Force Base May 6. Commander McCabe, who has served as the VQ-3 executive officer for the past year, becomes the 42nd commanding officer of the Ironman Squadron. The guest speaker for the ceremony was Navy Capt. Tim C. Pedersen, commander of Strategic Communications Wing One. Captain Pedersen praised Commander Obermeyer's leadership and highlighted VQ-3's recent accomplishments while Commander Obermeyer was commanding officer. "You've earned the trust and respect of a squadron that would follow you into a nuclear war, any time, any day," said Captain Pedersen. "As I look at the Ironmen and women standing proudly before me, I am humbled to have been your Skipper," said Commander Obermeyer before passing command of the squadron. "Never forget that we are not just another squadron, we hold ourselves to higher standards and I am confident that you will give Skipper McCabe the same effort, enthusiasm, and results that you gave me." Captain Pedersen went on to say that Commander McCabe was "the perfect fit to run the squadron" and that his high energy work ethic will only make an already stellar squadron better. Upon taking command, Commander McCabe said he was not nervous about taking command because he knew the Sailors he was about to lead were of the highest quality. Commander McCabe mentioned that he cannot even begin to express in words how excited he is to be the Commanding Officer of the Ironmen. "You will see it in my face when I am walking around the squadron and you'll hear it every time somebody asks me how great the squadron is because I am going to tell them," he said. Commander McCabe concluded that past greatness guarantees nothing and shared President Ronald Reagan's famous quote "Let us be sure that those that come after us will say of us in our time that we did everything that could be done, we finished the race, we kept them free, we kept the faith." Commander Obermeyer will report to the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he will work in the Networks and Information Integration Directorate. Navy Cmdr. Clinton T. Smith assumed duties as executive officer of VQ-3. The TACAMO community's sixteen E-6B Mercury aircraft enable the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense to directly communicate with U.S. submarines, bombers, and missile silos during a nuclear war.