Navy Fleet Survey Team Gets New Commanding Officer
The U.S. Navy's Fleet Survey Team (FST) at the John C. Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi saw Cmdr. Brian D. Connon as Commander taking command from former Commanding Officer Cmdr. Todd Monroe in a ceremony held 3 August 2006. Connon had most recently served as an oceanographic assignment and placement officer at the Naval Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee. The FST is a 50-member team comprised of civilians and active duty Navy officers and enlisted personnel. The bulk of its officers are Category-A certified hydrographers with graduate degrees in hydrographic science. Members of the FST perform hydrographic surveys in support of the Department of Defense all over the world. They also share their expertise with hydrographers in various other countries and perform emergency surveys to ensure safety of navigation following natural disasters. Its members performed immediate surveys following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, expediting the reopening of the critical Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and parts of the Mississippi River. This year, FST members have also conducted surveys and goodwill tours with host nations in West Africa and assisted in search and recovery efforts following a fatal U.S. Marine helicopter crash off the coast of Djibouti.
