Sawin Takes Over As HSMWL Commander

Helicopter Maritime Strike Weapons School, Atlantic is responsible for ensuring that today's Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing, Atlantic detachments deploy with the most comprehensive and up to date training available. Additionally, the Weapons School is charged with ensuring the future combat success of all east coast Helicopter Maritime Strike aircraft.

During his tour as commanding officer, Armin led the charge for increasingly realistic and relevant training for HSMWINGLANT aircrews as the Officer Conducting Exercise for numerous training events. These exercises include GREYFOX Anti-Surface Warfare Hellfire missile shoots, Diesel Electric Submarine Initiative Anti-Submarine Warfare exercises, and consolidated Atlantic Undersea Test & Evaluation Center training periods.

Armin improved the quality of training provided by the Weapons School and institued lasting readiness gains that benefit combat aircrews preparing to deploy. He has positioned the Weapon School to continue to provide exceptional training and to seamlessly integrate the community's newest helicopter, the MH-60R, into the training cycle.

Armin's next assignment will be as the Airboss aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) homeported in San Diego, Ca.

Sawin graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in December of 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics. Following flight training in Pensacola, Fla., he was designated a Naval Aviator in June of 1994.

Upon completion of SH-60B Seahawk Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) training at Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 41, Sawin reported to HSL 49 in August of 1995. He made two long deployments, one aboard USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG-60) to the Arabian Gulf, and the second as the Maintenance Officer aboard the USS Vincennes (CG-49) and the USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) supporting operations in and around Japan with HSL 51.

Following his tour at HSL 49, he transferred back to HSL 41 as a Flight Instructor where he gained all of his upper level qualifications. He also spent one year at the FRS supporting the SH-60R/S Fleet Introduction Team (FIT) as the SH-60R Team Lead In August of 2001, he transferred back to the fleet, once again to HSL 49, where he completed the Seahawk Weapons and Tactics Instructor (SWTI) School, and became the resident SWTI. During that tour, he was promoted to LCDR and was immediately sent out as the Officer In Charge (OIC) of Detachment 4 during RIMPAC 2003 in USS Lassen (DDG-82). Upon completion of his SWTI orders, he remained at HSL 49 to complete his Department Head /OIC tour. In this tour, he deployed aboard the USS Fletcher (DD-992) in December of 2003 as the OIC. This deployment supported the Navy's Sea Swap initiative in Perth Australia, followed by operations in the Northern Arabian Gulf, Horn of Africa, and Gulf of Oman. During this deployment, he qualified as Officer Of the Deck and received his OOD letter underway. Following his return from deployment in June of 2004, he became the Maintenance Officer until his departure in April of 2005. Sawin reported to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management & Comptroller in the Pentagon in May of 2005, and worked as the Lead Analyst for the Aircraft Procurement, Navy Appropriation and associated Research and Development accounts until June of 2007. Sawin then spent nine months working with the Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants (OARDEC) in Arlington, VA. This involved working directly with the Department of Justice, The Office of General Counsel for the United States, CIA, FBI and many other agencies in dealing with the detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Upon completion of his tour with OARDEC, Sawin reported to the HSM Weapons School, Atlantic as Executive Officer in November of 2008.