Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Chandra Newman

Cmdr. Chandra Newman is a native of Inverness, Florida. She enlisted in the Navy in May 2001 and commissioned from Officer Candidate School (OCS) in November 2002 after completing a bachelor’s of Science degree from Troy State University in Education PK-12.

Upon commission, Newman trained in Milton, Florida where she winged as a naval aviator in August 2004. Her first assignment was to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26 where she established Detachment ONE “Desert Hawks” supporting operations throughout the Arabian Gulf to include 2005 Pakistan Earthquake Relief operations in Kashmir. Her operational experience included detachments onboard USS Bataan (LHD-5), USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), USS Iwo Jima, (LHD-7) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

Following her first tour, she was assigned to HSC-2 as a flight instructor serving as the squadron aviation safety officer (ASO) and standardization officer while leading two operations supporting the POTUS Secret Service at Camp David. For her disassociated tour, Newman was the assistant navigator of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) qualifying officer of the deck (OOD). 

Newman’s department head tour was at HSC-25 in Yigo, Guam serving as the operations officer, deploying twice as an officer in charge (OIC) onboard the USNS Charles Drew (TAKE-10) and USNS Washington Chambers (TAKE-11) throughout the PACOM area of responsibility participating in Talisman Saber, Operation Damayan in the Philippines, and integrated training with 2nd Infantry Division, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion at Camp Humphreys Republic of South Korea, and numerous exercises and search and rescue operations throughout the Commonwealth of Marianas.  Most recently Newman was the executive officer for the C4/Cyber Directorate at U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.  She took command of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 in May 2020.

Newman graduated the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and earned her masters of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. Her personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals, as well as numerous campaign and unit awards.