NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Colonel Robert Hurst relieved Colonel Brian Taylor as the commanding officer of the V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) during a change of command ceremony at the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two One’s (HX-21) hangar on Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Oct. 10.
The change of command ceremony was presided over by Brigadier General David Walsh, Program Executive Officer for Air, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault, and Special Mission Programs, who offered words of encouragement and praise to both Hurst and Taylor.
“Col. Taylor’s guidance and his passion to steer the program in the right direction, focused on the warfighter, has reduced the maintenance man hours that our Marines need to spend, reduced the cost of flying those aircraft, and increased availability over the last couple of years. Those are incredible achievements in a platform that’s been around for a couple of decades,” said Walsh.
Hurst, who was the Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, for Research, Development and Acquisition ASN(RDA) before assuming command of PMA-275, will oversee a program office that continues to provide world-class support to the V-22 community.
Speaking of Hurst, Walsh said “I have no doubt that you are up to challenge: providing capability for our Marines, Airmen and Sailors. The leadership qualities you have, focused on our warfighters and on your people, will make you successful in delivering on the legacy of PMA-275.”
During the change of command ceremony Col. Taylor was presented with the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services as the V-22 Program Manager from April 2020 to October 2024.
Taylor was instrumental in optimizing the MV-22 fleet, resulting in 80,000 maintenance man hours savings annually and a reduction in material cost by $130 million. Additionally, his recommendation to divest the common configuration readiness and modernization program in favor of the scaled down common configuration capability relevant program resulted in $1.8 billion in savings, a 15% decrease in maintenance man hours, a 10% decrease in cost for flight hour, and a 35% increase in mission capable rates. His keen judgement and loyal devotion to duty, reflected great credit upon himself and uphold the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy.
PMA-275 manages the cradle-to-grave procurement, development, support, fielding, and disposal of the tiltrotor program systems for U.S. Marine Corps medium-lift assault support, the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Forces long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions, and Navy’s long-range/medium-lift element of the intra-theater aerial logistics capability fulfilling the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) time-critical logistics air connector requirements by transporting personnel, mail and priority cargo from advance bases to the Seabase.
