Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Melvin

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) held a memorial service honoring the victims of the Dec. 6, 2019 Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola terrorist attack, Dec. 6, 2022.

The memorial service included a wreath laying ceremony in NASC’s Area of Remembrance and marked the three-year anniversary of the terrorist attack that left three U.S. Navy Sailors killed and eight personnel injured. Naval Aircrewman Mechanical 3rd Class Mohammed Haitham, Naval Aircrewman Mechanical 3rd Class Cameron Walters and Lt.  j.g. Joshua Watson lost their lives when an aviation student from Saudi Arabia opened fire in a classroom building at NAS Pensacola. Portraits of the three Sailors and the Navy Flyer’s Creed are displayed in the Area of Remembrance as a quiet place of reflection.

“What happened here three years ago was both terrible and tragic,” said Capt. Edgardo Moreno, NASC’s commanding officer. “I hope and pray that we can continue to heal together as we remain more united here than ever. It is with our actions that we can repay the fallen.”

The ceremony also recognized those who were wounded during the attack – Ensign Kristy Lehmer, Ensign Brianna Thomas, Airman Ryan Blackwell, Airman George Johnson, Jessica Pickett, Capt. Charles Hogue, Deputy Matthew Tinch and Deputy Jonathan Glass.



The NAS Pensacola community also gathered during the early morning hours of Dec. 6 for a 5k run in remembrance of the tragic events on that day in 2019.

“Three years ago, three of our shipmates answered a higher calling,” said Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). “They made a deep commitment to our nation, knowing that they may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. These young men fulfilled their oath to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign or domestic. We can never repay their sacrifice, but we can remember and honor them by keeping their memory alive. They must never be forgotten as they represent the best in each of us.”

Students who participated in the memorial run reflected on the importance of honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on Dec. 6, 2019. “It felt good to see everyone who attended the run united and motivated,” said Airman Zachary Hablas, from Fort Worth, Texas, assigned to NASC as an aircrew candidate. “It meant a lot for me to be able to participate. Tragedies such as this can be very detrimental to a community so to be able to be a part of remembering them and honoring them was very special.”


NETC’s mission is to recruit and hire talented civilians, deliver training and education to transform civilians into Sailors, and distribute accession Sailors to the fleet to maximize readiness and ensure mission success; to provide specialized training and educational tools to advance the personal and professional development of Sailors throughout their career; and serve as the sole claimant for individual training and education and as the principal advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command on training and education related matters.

For more information about NETC, visit the command’s website at https://www.netc.navy.mil/ and follow MyNavy HR: Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MYNAVYHR/, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mynavyhr/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/mynavyhr