Capt. Cantu retires from NAS Jax tenure, gives command to Capt. deWindt

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Capt. Marc Cantu relinquished command of Naval Air Station Jacksonville to Executive Officer Capt. Greg deWindt during a change of command ceremony on Thursday.

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Rear Adm. Ian Johnson, a commander in the Navy Region Southeast was the presiding officer, and Col. Michael Brennan, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 41 was the guest speaker for the event.

NAS Jax said that the station’s 110+ tenant commands, including 17 squadrons, thousands of civilians and Sailors, along with their families, have benefitted due to Cantu’s staunch leadership during major projects improving military readiness.

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It was said Cantu masterfully ensured the largest installation in the Navy Region Southeast, and the third largest in the Navy, delivered the most effective and efficient readiness from the shore by setting the highest standards of excellence. This is evident as NAS Jax recently earned Commander, Navy Installations Command’s 2024 Installation Excellence Award as the best large naval installation worldwide.

During Cantu’s leadership, the installation successfully conducted 170,000 flight operations in support of 6 strike group pre-deployment exercises and fleet operations.

Cantu also made efforts to reduce energy consumption across the installation by more than 10%, saving the Navy more than $1.2 million in 2023. Other contributing factors included replacing gas-powered government vehicles with hybrid electric vehicles.

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During his tenure, the installation championed a Get Fit program, which has now been adopted Navy-wide. Get Fit consolidates morale, welfare and recreation, fleet and family support center, Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society and other programs into a monthly event giving Sailors a “one-stop shop” for resources.

Another unique change at NAS Jax is the conversion of food service operations from a “galley” to the Navy Southeast Region’s first “Essential Station Mess.” This initiative provides nearly 20,000 meals each month, improving the quality of service for Sailors stationed at NAS Jax.

Cantu also led the station during the 2022 air show, which hosted more than 350,000 spectators with no mishaps or security issues.

He will retire after 26 years of honorable naval service and plans to reside in Jacksonville with his family.

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deWindt, a native of Long Island, New York, enlisted in the Navy in 1991. In 1995, he was accepted into the Enlisted Commissioning Program, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and commissioned an ensign in July 1996.

In 2011, he earned a Masters of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. In 2017, he completed an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the Naval Post Graduate School.

After designation as a naval aviator in 1998, deWindt received initial training in the SH-60B “Seahawk” and joined Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 47 at NAS North Island, San Diego, California. His subsequent flying tours include Fleet Replacement Squadron instructor at HSL-41 at NAS North Island, department head at HSL-45 at NAS North Island, executive officer of HSM-37 at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and commanding officer of HSM-49 at NAS North Island.

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His tours at sea include multiple deployments as a first tour pilot with USS McClusky (FFG 41), and USS Fife (DD 991), and as Detachment Three officer-in-charge aboard USS Halsey (DDG 97). He served on USS Tarawa (LHA 1) as hangar deck division officer and Air Department mini-boss and with Carrier Strike Group One as Air Operations officer aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).

Ashore tours include an Individual Augmentee assignment to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an assisting military officer supporting administrative review boards and combatant status review tribunals for the Office for the Administrative Review for the Detention of Enemy Combatants; duty with the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization where he served as deputy chief for the Counter-IED Operations Intelligence/Integration Center (COIC) Net-Centric Innovation Division and deployed as officer-in-charge for COIC-Afghanistan supporting Joint Task Force Paladin’s counter-threat network analysis; and service with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Two as staff officer and N6 department head. He has also served as inclusion and diversity officer for Commander, Navy Personnel Command at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tennessee.

In August 2022, deWindt assumed the duties of executive officer for NAS Jax.

Taking over as the NAS Jax executive officer following the change of command is Capt. Ryan Dexter.

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NAS Jax change of command (NAS Jax) (NAS Jax)

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