EL TORO : Ceremony for Old, New Commanders
Change-of-command ceremonies are scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday as Brig. Gen. David V. Shuter, the commanding officer of the Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro, retires and is replaced by Brig. Gen. Wayne T. Adams.
The outdoor ceremonies, with band music and troops in formation, repeat one of the oldest military traditions: saying goodby to the old commander and welcoming the new.
Shuter, 53, has been commanding general of the air base at El Toro since Oct. 6, 1987. He is completing 36 years of military service, and he and his wife will retire in the Orange County area, military officials said Wednesday.
Adams, 50, was promoted to brigadier general--one star--on April 28, 1989. He previously directed a division of the Marine Corps’ Installations and Logistics Department in Washington.
Adams is a native of southern Florida and received a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of Alabama. His 29-year military record includes two tours of duty in South Vietnam during the war. He has accumulated more than 3,600 flight hours piloting fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft.
Adams and his wife have three children: Jeff, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy; Allison, a flight attendant, and Rob, a college student.
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