Navy Captain Pilots Wing Into Point Mugu

Like the radar planes he oversees, Capt. Randall W. Bannister is quiet, a behind-the-scenes player who prefers not to draw notice.

Bannister is known as “Bubba,” a pilot’s call name that’s been flashed to him around the world on missions he’d rather not talk about.

At 44, Bannister no longer flies Navy jets. Instead, he rides herd on Point Mugu’s newest addition--a wing comprising 16 E-2C Hawkeyes and the 1,000 or so people who calibrate their instruments and catapult the planes into the wild blue yonder.

“Bubba” Bannister is a native of South Carolina, but he’s more inclined toward computers than corn bread. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he also has master’s degrees in business and foreign affairs.

“I’m a pretty meticulous, detail-oriented person,” he said.

Colleagues say Bannister’s management skills and long history with Hawkeyes make him well suited to bring the West Coast’s only E-2C wing to its new home from San Diego’s Miramar Naval Air Station.

The move is expected to pour millions of dollars into the local economy and give Point Mugu further protection against future military base cuts.

“He’s probably the best at what he does. There aren’t many things he hasn’t seen,” said Cmdr. Mike “Tarzan” Becknell, leader of the wing’s Golden Hawks squadron.

“And he’s bigger than us, so we take what he says,” Becknell said, laughing.

The complex transfer of planes and personnel from Miramar has gone smoothly. The first two squadrons have found temporary hangars, almost all of the 350-member support staff have found housing and his pilots are smiling.

“Moving is never easy, but this one went well,” Bannister said. “I think Point Mugu is a great place to call home.”

As commodore of the wing, Bannister had to prepare for four separate move-ins for each of the squadrons set to come to Point Mugu, all on six weeks’ notice. In a juggling act that requires the reflexes of a seasoned pilot, he has balanced housing demands, technical needs and day-to-day management.

At the same time, he has been forced to become a “geographical bachelor,” the Navy’s term for married personnel who live far from home and visit their families only on weekends and special occasions. His wife, Cheryl, and his son, Daniel, are still in San Diego.

He played down the change, however. “We see each other every weekend,” he said.

A flight officer since 1979, Bannister has been stationed across the world and taken part in anti-drug operations, Iraqi flyovers and the Gulf War.

He also has earned his share of recognition. Fellow fliers selected him Hawkeye of the Year in 1984, and his record includes two Meritorious Service Medals, a Naval Achievement Medal and a Joint Service Achievement Medal.

His piloting experience may make Bannister a logical choice for the high-stakes management of the EC-2 wing. The planes, topped by a large white radar disc, can coordinate a wide range of fighter craft, acting as both air traffic controller and strike coordinator.

Cmdr. Mike “Cheeks” Chicoine said Bannister has been an expert administrator, navigating the often obscure relationships among different Navy operations on the 2,000-acre facility.

“He has been a perfect mediator,” said Chicoine, head of the wing’s Sun Kings squadron.

Chicoine said Bannister has not micro-managed the squadrons, giving them the flexibility to train without worrying about base bureaucracy.

“My people are happy to be here,” Bannister said. “The community, both on and off the base, has made us feel welcome.”

He has even come to tend a small garden on the base--perhaps a bow to the farm he grew up on.

He said Point Mugu has been a welcome change from Miramar, which recently converted into a Marine base. “We were basically in the way there,” he said. “Here we have a home.”