Commanding Officer
Capt. Rick Foster
A third-generation naval officer, Capt. Foster graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1999, and designated a naval aviator in 2001. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Navy’s test pilot school and holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Florida.
He has been part of naval acquisition since 2012, leading P-3 modifications, repair, and flight check at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast for the first three years and in various program management positions within NAVAIR headquarters from 2015 to 2022. His program management tours include leading the advanced development team for small form factor rockets and the radar jammer and decoy integrated product team for the F/A-18. He then became the military deputy for the Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems Program Office, responsible for approximately $350M in procurement and research and development funds annually. In 2020, Foster was selected for the Secretary of Defense Executive Fellowship and spent a year embedded with the executive leadership at FEDEX Express studying commercial airline practices as well as culture management. Most recently he served as the E-XX lead in the Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office, responsible for the recapitalization of the E-6B TACAMO mission onto the C-130. In July 2022, he reported to Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic as the executive officer and assumed command in September, 2023, where he is responsible for $770M in annual aircraft maintenance and 2,500 military and civilian personnel across three detachment sites and multiple operational shipboard units.
Prior to his acquisition tours, he was a P-3 and C-130 pilot with operational deployments to Sigonella, Sicily, and various locations in Africa. During his department head tour, he led a maintenance department of over 200 personnel responsible for providing aircraft to support numerous domestic and multinational operations. He was also a primary flight school instructor pilot for basic, instrument, aerobatic and formation flight as well as a test pilot authoring test plans and providing flight support for multiple aircraft and weapon test events. Foster has accrued more than 3,100 flight hours in 28 aircraft and has been an instructor or mission commander in six different type/model/series.
His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards) and various unit and service awards.