POINT MUGU : A ‘Wetting Down’ Salutes Commander

Returning from his final flight out of Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station, Rear Adm. William E. Newman, the departing commander of the base, was greeted with a ritual “wetting down” by the base firefighters.

The friendly dousing is a tradition at the base and was intended to honor the admiral, who will be replaced by Rear Adm. Select Dana B. McKinney at a ceremony Dec. 14.

Newman will be promoted to the Naval Systems Command in Washington, D.C., but the assignment might mark the end of his flying career, he said.

“I’m leaving this post with a little nostalgia,” Newman said after his flight Wednesday. “This may be the last tactical flight of my naval career.”

Newman flew an A-7 Corsair from Point Mugu to the weapons-testing facility at China Lake in the Mojave Desert. Giving a thumbs-up upon return, he told a small crowd on the Tarmac that the hourlong flight through the clear Southern California sky was perfect, with views of the Channel Islands.

“It was a great day for flying,” he said.